Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa is set to return from World Cup duty amid strong transfer links to Chelsea, with coach Francesco Farioli publicly urging the Portugal international to remain at Estadio do Dragao and describing the club as the ideal place for the next phase of Costa’s career.

Costa’s tournament ended in the last 16 on Monday, when Portugal went out against Spain, and the 26-year-old will rejoin Porto’s squad in the coming weeks, just as preparations intensify for the Super Cup and the new Primeira Liga season under Farioli’s guidance.

Farioli addressed transfer speculation after reports of Chelsea interest, stressing that Porto intends to keep the first-choice goalkeeper. As Farioli put it: “As for Diogo Costa, I don’t want to attract the interest of other clubs. I hope he comes back soon, that they close the airport and the roads [laughs]. FC Porto is his home. I wish him the best for his career, but I hope it’s with us.”

Since becoming Porto’s number one in the 2021-22 season, Costa has put together elite domestic numbers. The goalkeeper has recorded 78 clean sheets, more than any other player in the Primeira Liga during that span, while also producing 287 saves, joint-fourth most in the division, and stopping five penalties, which ranks joint-third over the same period.

During this time, Costa has collected three league titles with Porto, most recently in 2025-26, and seven additional domestic trophies, underlining why clubs across Europe are tracking the Portugal international and why Farioli views continuity in goal as vital for Porto’s short-term and long-term plans.

Porto’s competitive schedule begins on August 1 against Torreense in the Supertaca Candido de Oliveira, Portugal’s domestic Super Cup, before the league campaign starts one week later versus Alverca, although Farioli has insisted that all planning at this stage centres on the Torreense clash.

Farioli outlined the importance of that fixture for Porto’s mindset. Farioli added: “The Super Cup will be the final chapter of last season. After that, last season will be definitively over. The focus is on the Super Cup and trying to win another trophy. The opponents will be very motivated and FC Porto has to keep their stomachs empty, wanting to win again. What we achieved is in the past.”

With the Super Cup framed as both a closure of the previous campaign and a launch point for the next, Costa’s situation remains central for Porto, as the club seeks stability in goal, another trophy against Torreense, and a strong start before hosting Alverca in the early stages of the 2026-27 Primeira Liga season.