Over the past week, we’ve been following the developing story of Alberto Costa. The 21-year-old right-back, who plays for Vitória de Guimarães, has attracted interest from several clubs.
Recently, Brighton & Hove Albion have made an offer of €12m, with an additional €2m in potential bonuses, while Sporting CP’s offer is slightly lower. Brighton’s payment terms are also more favorable to Vitória de Guimarães, but reports have repeatedly emphasized that the player prefers a move to Sporting.
Miguel Pinho, Costa’s agent, is said to have informed Brighton that Sporting was the player’s choice.
However, there’s been a new development.
O Jogo, which has been confidently reporting that Sporting was close to finalizing the deal, now states that Juventus is also offering €12m.
António Miguel Cardoso, the president of Vitória de Guimarães, was quoted saying: “We had an agreement with another club, and Alberto didn’t want to go. As for the club you mention, we don’t know anything.”
O Jogo suggests the first club Cardoso refers to is Brighton and the second is Sporting.
In addition, A Bola’s Sunday edition reports that Juventus is willing to match Brighton’s offer, and Costa is reportedly interested in the move to Turin.
A Bola also claims that Cardoso’s comments confirm the agreement with Brighton, but that may no longer be significant.
Sporting is working hard to improve their bid, while Brighton may need to consider walking away if the player isn’t keen on the move. It might not be worth pursuing further.
Club president appears to confirm Brighton transfer agreement – Drama steps up a notch
