In the wake of Michy Batshuayi’s imminent arrival, Chelsea FC forward Diego Costa is reportedly pushing for an exit. The Spanish international is eyeing a return to former club Atletico Madrid and has informed the Blues about his decision.
Diego Costa’s impact on Chelsea has been paramount. Barring his on-field theatrics, he has been a potent striker with an eye for goal. However, according to the Daily Star, the 27-year-old is paving the way for an exit from Stamford Bridge. Charlie Philippe of the Daily Express has further stated that Atletico Madrid have opened talks with Chelsea, and are willing to pay a fee in the region of £35 million to bring back the prodigious striker to the Vincente Calderon.
Losing Costa would be a huge blow for incoming manager Antonio Conte, as he would be devoid of the services of an experienced striker to the lead lines. Due to their shaky stints in the Premier League, Alexandre Pato and Radamel Falcao have been offloaded by the backroom staff at the Bridge. This decision now means that starlet Bertrand Traore and out-of-favour Loic Remy would be the only out-and-out strikers remaining among Chelsea’s current crop of players.
However, Marca has reported that Costa may not be Aletico’s top strike target. According to the Spanish publication, the Diego Simeone’s side have prepared bids for a trio of strikers playing in three different leagues. Napoli’s Gonzalo Higuain and Borussia Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are the other names on the manager’s priority list. It is understood that offers within the bracket of €50 to 60 million are being readied by the Los Rojiblancos.
Can Chelsea afford to let go of Costa?
As notorious a commodity Diego Costa can be, he has also been a success for the Blues. He hit the ground running after his move to Chelsea in 2014, by scoring 20 goals in just 26 appearances in his debut season in the Premier League. In 2015/16 too, after a tumultuous first-half of the campaign, the striker turned a new leaf and began to find the back of the net on a regular basis.
Antonio Conte is destined to deploy a 3-5-2 setup which would probably see Michy Batshuayi partner Costa up front. If the Italian boss can convince the attacker to stay put, the strike duo of Batshuayi and Costa could prove to be formidable. While the former is blessed with excruciating pace and creativity, the latter is a composed finisher and likes to be fed the ball inside the 18-yard-area. Two completely unique
While the former is blessed with excruciating pace and creativity, the latter is a composed finisher and likes to be fed the ball inside the 18-yard-area. Two completely strikers could work in tandem and complement each other, which would in turn spell success for Chelsea in the 2016/17 season.
