Arguably the best pound-for-pound signing made by any Premier League club in 2021/22 was Jose Sa of Wolverhampton Wanderers; A shot-stopping snip at £6.8 million.
The benchmark has been set very high indeed, then, for the goalkeepers set to follow in Sa’s footsteps this summer, including a £34m Portugal international and Fulham’s Serie A freebie.
Diogo Costa – Newcastle United
For the first time in years, a fully fit Cristiano Ronaldo was left on the bench for a competitive fixture during Portugal’s 1-1 UEFA Nations League draw with Spain on Thursday night. CR7 is not the only international centurion who’s once vice-like grip on a starting berth appears to be loosening ahead of the Qatar World Cup however.
Rui Patricio watched on from the sidelines as Porto’s Diogo Costa started a third game in a row against La Roja in Seville. 22-year-old Costa was the rock at the heart of Porto’s Primeira Liga-winning defence in 2021/22, his cat-like reflexes and fine distribution catching the eye of nouveau-riche Newcastle United.
According to Jornal de Noticias, Newcastle can get their man for a cool £34 million.
“He is one of the most elegant goalkeepers of recent times,” says former Porto coach Manuel Tulipa, per O Jogo. ““And a bit like a copy of (Porto legend) Vitor Baia.
“Maybe even a little more refined in the game with his feet and in his intention to create and provoke a lot of offensive play.
“He has incredible (goalkeeping skills) and ease in taking out crossing actions. In the near future, we will not find a better solution to defend the colours of FC Porto and Portugal.”
Bartlomiej Dragowski and Mateusz Lis – Southampton
In the space of one window, Southampton could sign two Polish shot-stoppers. The more expensive and more well-known of the two – Fiorentina’s Bartlomiej Dragowski – has been a Saints target ever since shattering a Serie A record while producing 17 saves during a remarkable performance against Atalanta in 2019.
Mateusz Lis, however, is a relatively new name on Ralph Hasenhuttl’s hitlist. He will arrive on a free transfer following his departure from recently-relegated Turkish outfit Altay. But while Dragowski is expected to be installed immediately as Ralph Hasenhuttl’s number one, Lis will have to bide his time.
The unattached 25-year-old will reportedly spent 2022/23 out on loan.
Ugurcan Cakir – Newcastle United or Leeds
There are three certainties in life; death, taxes and that, whenever May turns into June, speculation regarding Ugurcan Cakir’s potential arrival in English football will go into overload. The Turkey international, who reportedly held talks with both Leeds and Newcastle, has made no secret of his desire for a fresh challenge after captaining Trabzonspor to their first Super Lig title since the days when Denis Irwin was merely a fresh-faced teenager looking to make a name for himself at Elland Road.
Yep, you could say it’s been a while since they had something to celebrate on the banks of the Black Sea.
Cakir, who has been described as a ‘world-class’ shot-stopper by some, would provide serious competition for the talented yet inconsistent Illan Meslier at Leeds.
Thomas Strakosha – Fulham
Fulham supporters are still awaiting their first signing since returning to the big time but there is light at the end of the tunnel. According to Calciomercato, the Cottagers are still in talks with Strakosha as the Greek-born Albanian prepares to leave Italian giants Lazio on a free transfer.
One lingering problem, however, revolves around Strakosha’s signing-on bonus. Fulham believe the fee he wants is currently ‘too high’. A compromise should be reached eventually.
This feels less like a road block, more a pesky pothole. A bump in the road leading Strakosha to West London.
Matt Turner – Arsenal
While there is some work to be done before Strakosha is posing for photos alongside Marco Silva, Arsenal have already dotted the Is and crossed the Ts on Matt Turner’s move to the English capital.
The Gunners will pay around £7.5 million for the late-blooming American. This should pave the way for Bernd Leno to reunite with former Bayer Leverkusen boss Roger Schmidt at Benfica.
“I think it’s definitely a step up for me,” says Turner, named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2021 on the back of some fantastic performances for New England Revolution.
“I’ve been playing pretty well in MLS for the better part of three years now. Being a week-in, week-out starter in the MLS didn’t guarantee me to be a starter here for the national team. And, going to the World Cup, I obviously want to play games.
“So I need to shake things up in my club career and I think this is a positive step forward.”
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