A long drawn out transfer saga was finally put to rest today, with both Chelsea and Atletico Madrid confirming Diego Costa’s transfer
According to a brief statement on Chelsea’s official website, Costa’s transfer to Atletico Madrid has been agreed for a fee believed to be in the region of £58 million. The move is now subject to the player agreeing personal terms and passing a medical.
In one of the most public falling outs in recent football history, Costa revealed that Antonio Conte had texted him during the off-season that the Spaniard was no longer in his plans. This led to Costa appearing in an Atletico shirt on social media, in turn setting his heart on a move to his former club.
The prodigal son returns to his adopted nation, returning to a club where he scored 64 goals in 135 appearances over two spells. Regarded as one of the best strikers of the modern generation, it is believed that Costa learned the tricks of the trade at the Vicente Calderon under Diego Simeone.
However, given Atletico’s transfer embargo till January 2018, they will not be able to register the striker before that. It is yet unclear as to how the transfer will take place, and what Costa will do in the meanwhile, but it looks like all parties are happy with the deal.
Chelsea signed fellow Spaniard Alvaro Morata in the summer transfer window, with Michy Batshuayi acting as his backup. Even if there was the slightest chance of Costa staying, it all evaporated when the Blues signed the former.
A crowd favourite at Stamford Bridge, Costa will certainly be missed by the fans, if not his peers too. Having scored a total of 59 goals in 120 appearances for them, it is not difficult to see why. Along with his fantastic record on the pitch, he was also a character in the Chelsea dressing room – a constant source of entertainment for the players.
His time in England has been nothing short of controversial though. Accused of ‘play-acting’ more often than not to get an opponent in trouble, opposition defenders will certainly be happy to see his back. An in-your-face type character – a trait so often loved by home fans, but equally despised by the travelling supporters – made him the darling of the English media.
It will, however, be interesting to see how this move pans out for him. With Antoine Greizmann in prime form and Fernando Torres still in contention for a starting spot at the new Wanda Metropolitano Stadium, we will have to wait and watch how he fares there.
