A shock January move to Arsenal could be on the horizon for Diego Costa, whose contract with Atletico Madrid has been terminated.
According to a report by AS, Diego Costa’s days at Atletico Madrid are over, with the striker set to depart Wanda Metropolitano ahead of the upcoming January transfer window. He did not train with the team earlier this week and has had his contract terminated, with Arsenal emerging as a potential destination.
Agreement with @diegocosta for the termination of his contract.
The club wishes the striker the best of luck in the next stage of his professional career.— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) December 29, 2020
Although Arsenal are not playing in the UEFA Champions League, they are a strong contender for the Europa League this season, having been the only club to retain a hundred percent winning record in the group stages. Their poor start to the Premier League campaign, however, could likely see them miss out on Europe altogether next season unless they win one of the major cup titles.
Nevertheless, Costa should not find any difficulties move to the Emirates in January. The striker is already acclimatised to life in London, having played for Chelsea for three and a half years. He also boasts a stellar record in the English top-flight, scoring 52 goals in just 89 outings while also helping the Blues win the league title twice.
From a sporting perspective, the potential addition of Costa could be a welcome one for an Arsenal side who have lacked productivity in the final third this season. Although the club does possess attacking superstars such as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette, both these players have struggled with a lack of form.
In that regard, Costa could add much-needed competition as the focal point of the attack during the second half of the campaign. More importantly, he could bring another dimension to Arsenal’s offensive game, thanks to his robust style of play, which should allow Mikel Arteta to deploy him as a target man.
The Spanish international is indeed better suited to Arsenal given the fact that the likes of Nicolas Pepe, Gabriel Martinelli and Bukayo Saka are players, who primarily like to whip in crosses into the box. So it will be interesting to see how this transfer saga involving the former Chelsea striker pans out over the coming weeks, with his time at Atletico Madrid officially over.