Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot has tipped fellow Portugal star Diogo Costa to become the best goalkeeper in the world, potentially risking the ire of club team-mate Andre Onana.
Former Ajax and Inter Milan number one Onana was chosen by manager Erik ten Hag to replace David de Gea over the summer. Portuguese stopper Costa, at Porto, was one of the options overlooked for the Cameroon international.
Costa, 24, has impressed for club and country this season. The 18 goals Porto have conceded in 26 league games is the best return in the Primeira Liga, while the Portugal number one kept six clean sheets in the seven Euro 2024 qualifiers he played.
Onana, in contrast, has blown hot and cold. While he has recovered some form after a shaky start at Old Trafford, he conceded three times in his sole Africa Cup of Nations outing before Rigobert Song's team were eliminated in the round of 16.
"I think [Costa] is already more than ready for this leap [to a top European club], which will happen when he decides, whenever," Dalot told Sport TV. "I’ve had the opportunity to tell him several times that he has that ability and for me he will be the best goalkeeper in the world soon.
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"He’s already one of the best and that’s why I believe he has that potential, that future. In addition to being a great friend, he is a great goalkeeper and I look forward to seeing what he will do in the future."
Costa wasn't involved in Portugal's last match, a 5-2 victory over Sweden, as he was nursing a knock. Roberto Martinez's team take on Slovenia in their next friendly on Tuesday evening.
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Portugal keeper Diogo Costa has impressed for club and country (Getty Images)In early March, Onana admitted his start to life in Manchester was tough. High-profile early errors cost his team in the Champions League, before they suffered an early elimination from the competition, but he has played his part in the team climbing back up into the top six in the Premier League.
“It was a difficult time for me,” the 27-year-old said. “Now I'm feeling a bit better. I already know the goalkeeper that I am, but it took me six months or seven months not to play good, just to feel good. When I moved from Amsterdam to Milan, that adaptation was quite easy. But it took me seven, eight months here. It was just time to learn and go game by game.
“Everything was new, it was difficult for me to feel at home, for so many reasons, in a new country. It was just moments. Sometimes you're faced with a difficult situation, just not feeling good, not playing good, because I didn’t think I started to play good. So, it was just something strange, but it was a good time for me to learn. because I learned a lot at that time.
“Playing in the final of the Champions League for Inter and being knocked out in the first stage a few months later, was a big lesson for me. Now I think I have everything on my back, learn from it, move on and try to be happy. That is the most important thing.”
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