Chelsea are reportedly anticipating a second assault in the summer from the Chinese Super League for their star striker Diego Costa
According to a report in the Daily Mirror, Chelsea are bracing themselves for another a fresh £650,000-a-week offer from China for Spain striker Diego Costa that will make him the highest paid player in the world.
Much like his career with Chelsea so far, Diego Costa’s season thus far has been topsy turvy. The 28-year-old started the campaign amid a lot of uncertainty surrounding his future with the West London club, after what was an underwhelming 2015/16 in which the entire Chelsea squad collapsed.
However, he put all that behind him to kickstart the season with a bang. Costa was in some prolific form at the start of the season, and his form till December saw him romp to the top of the goalscoring charts in the Premier League, as the Blues established a big foothold in the title race.
However, the turn of the year has since seen his form petering out significantly. Costa is not nearly as consistent as he was in the first half of the season, and the Blues have had to depend heavily on goals from Eden Hazard and Pedro instead.
In fact, Costa has found the back of the net just 3 times in 12 Premier League appearances in 2017, and has failed to score in the last five top flight games – his worst drought in a Chelsea shirt. So, after a positive start to the campaign, things seem like they are heading downwards all of a sudden.
Recent reports have stated that Costa is “sick of” living in London and is looking to leave Chelsea at the end of the season. And the recent report, perhaps, adds some substance to it. The report by the Daily Mirror claims that Costa is set to be offered a bumper deal from China, with Chelsea fearing that that has turned his head.
The contract on offer is said to be worth £34million a year after tax, an amount that would make him the highest paid player in the world. This is a second such offer from the Chinese Super League after Tianjin Quanjian tried signing him in January.
And Chinese clubs seem to have remained interested in landing Costa in the summer. Distracted or not, though, Costa’s dip in form is definitely a subject of concern for Antonio Conte, with Chelsea’s lead at the top of the table cut to four points and the FA Cup semifinal meeting with Tottenham beckoning.
It now remains to be seen if Costa is indeed lured by the riches on offer from China to leave Chelsea in the summer. For now though, he must rediscover his best touch in order to ensure that the Blues finish the season with two titles.
