Former Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink believes the Blues should aim higher than Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa if they are serious about strengthening their squad this summer.
Speaking exclusively to 10bet, Hasselbaink dismissed suggestions that the Portugal international is the ideal candidate to become Chelsea’s new first-choice goalkeeper and instead pointed to the profile of AC Milan star Mike Maignan as the type of player the club should target.
Costa ‘not top tier’
“I don’t really like him for them, to be honest,” Hasselbaink said when asked about Costa.
“I think if they’re going to look at a goalkeeper, there is better out there.
“Don’t get me wrong, he’s an international, he plays in the Champions League every year for Porto, and he does okay for the national team.
“But no, I don’t think that he’s top, top tier. I think Chelsea can do better.”
The former Netherlands international believes Chelsea’s youthful squad would benefit from the arrival of an experienced goalkeeper with a strong personality and a winning mentality.
Maignan the right profile
“They were close before with the French goalkeeper Mike Maignan, who is obviously at AC Milan,” he said.
“I think if Chelsea is going to go for a goalkeeper now, they need somebody who is a little bit older with a bit of character and a big presence.
“I wouldn’t be able to give you a specific name who is available right now, but when they were trying to get Maignan, I was very happy.
“I like the idea of someone like that coming into the club – somebody coming from a massive club with a top mentality who has always been under pressure to deliver and win, whether at AC Milan or with the French national team.
“He will transmit that standard to the other players. That’s the kind of profile you need to bring in.”
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World Cup targets still unclear
Hasselbaink also urged caution when assessing potential transfer targets at the ongoing World Cup 2026, insisting it is still too early to draw conclusions.
“Not yet. Not yet,” he said when asked whether any player had emerged as a suitable Chelsea target.
“I think we have to get into the knockout stages to really see how players handle the pressure, and then you can judge.”
Delap warned over Chelsea future
The former Blues forward also delivered a stark warning about Liam Delap’s future at Stamford Bridge, arguing that the striker must prioritise regular football.
“Liam Delap needs to play. He needs to play football matches ASAP,” Hasselbaink said.
“I think next year is only going to be harder for him to get minutes at Chelsea because there aren’t going to be as many games; they are only playing in the Premier League and the domestic cups since they aren’t in Europe.
“The squad is going to be tighter, and they’ll mostly just be playing on Saturdays.
“It’s going to be very tough for him to get on the pitch. He cannot afford to have another year where he doesn’t play matches.
“If that means he needs to be loaned out or sold so he can play week-in, week-out, then so be it for the sake of his career.”
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