The Lion City Sailors are pleased to announce the signing of young Portuguese left-back Diogo Costa on loan from Primeira Liga side FC Famalicão until the end of the 2024/25 season.
The deal, which includes an option to buy, sees Diogo fill the third and final Under-21 foreign player slot in the Sailors’ Singapore Premier League (SPL) squad, along with Sergio Carmona Pérez and Obren Kljajić.
A modern-day full-back with lightning speed, aggression, and impressive dead-ball abilities, Diogo has been with Famalicão since his teenage years. He progressed through the ranks to represent the club in Under-15, Under-17, Under-19, and Under-23 national competitions, captaining nearly every age group he has played in.
Since signing professional terms with Famalicão in September 2021, the talented 21-year-old has been a regular in the Liga Revelação U-23 competition. He also gained experience in the Portuguese third tier during a loan spell at Académica de Coimbra in the second half of the 2023/24 campaign.
He was also named on the bench three times for Famalicão’s senior side in the Primeira Liga during the first half of the 2024/25 campaign and most recently scored the winning goal with a free-kick in a 1-0 victory over Braga in the Liga Revelação last November.
The ambitious Sailors project was what drew Diogo to the Lion City, as he aims to showcase his qualities in a new and unfamiliar environment.
“When the club approached me and shared their project, I was really excited because I feel our ambitions are aligned. I want to play more regularly as a professional footballer, and I believe this is the right place to showcase my potential,” said Diogo.
“I’m hungry to show what I can do here. I want to display my qualities in both defence and attack, and the target is to become a top player for the team.”
Having arrived in Singapore at the start of January, Diogo is gradually adapting to life with the Sailors, and is fully determined to contribute to the team’s success in the months ahead.
“It’s still early days, but I can already tell that the level of training is very high, and the boys have made me feel welcome from day one,” said Diogo.
“For me, having a strong mindset is the most important thing. I just want to work as hard as I can to contribute to the team. Playing regularly and winning titles with the team are my main goals here.”
