Chelsea owner Todd Boehly is set to continue remoulding the club following his seismic takeover earlier this year, and a certain international star has been targeted in a mammoth bid. 

What’s the word?

Having spent roughly £242.7m on transfers this summer, the Blues are seemingly unsatisfied with the collective squad, and believe Portuguese shot-stopper Diogo Costa has the pedigree to flourish as the clubs No. 1 between the sticks. 

According to emerging reports in Spain, manager Graham Potter is impressed with the 23-year-old’s well-oiled modern game, with a lucrative offer of around £60m being prepared to entice the player towards West London. 

And with Potter, assuming his role at the club in September, looking to breathe his life into the team, the multi-faceted ace boasts the aptitude and quality necessary to cement his place at the club for years to come. 

Upgrade on current crop

At just 23 years old, Costa has already paved the way to a successful career on the major stage, starring for Porto with such aplomb that he has already cemented his place between the sticks for Portugal at the World Cup.

For a club of Chelsea’s stature, football’s most touted talents often find themselves drawn in from a tractor-beam, such is the appeal to don the blue shirt and compete for major honours across all fronts. 

The Blues’ current options in goal are Edouard Mendy and Kepa Arrizabalaga, although the former has somewhat lost his way after an impressive start to life in London and Kepa is known to be erratic and error-strewn on occasion. 

Costa, nicknamed “The Wall” by talent scout Jacek Kulig after picking up five Primeira Liga keeper of the month awards, swiftly rose to prominence after rising through Porto’s youth ranks.

Having made 87 appearances for the club already, winning two league titles, his supreme performances between the sticks have left him as national coach Fernando Santos’ trusted No 1., and he has starred for Selecao as a result. 

At the current World Cup in Qatar, Costa has played in both matches as the side qualified for the knockout phase with a game to spare. 

As per Sofascore, the £30m-rated sensation has made 2.0 saves per outing (67%) and kept a clean sheet in a valuable victory over Uruguay. 

The shot-stopper's knack for snuffing out offensive drives from multiple angles will have been duly noted by Potter and his analyst department, with FBref ranking Costa in the top 5% for clean sheets, the top 6% for crosses stopped and the top 15% for touches, when compared to goalkeepers across Europe ‘next eight’ leagues. 

Chelsea’s current options have only kept six clean sheets between them this season, and with goals continuing to uncharacteristically leak into the ship at Stamford Bridge, now might be the time to forge ahead with a winter move.

With youth on his side and an abundance of quality to partner it, Costa - once dubbed "superb" by journalist Zach Lowy - would be a shrewd acquisition for Chelsea; they might have to break the bank, but they do indeed hold the affluence to ensure that a prospective move would be well and truly worth it.

The arrival of the Portugal no.1 could finally spell an end for the two liabilities between the sticks at Stamford Bridge.