The former Atletico Madrid striker recently admitted to wanting to leave Chelsea in the summer for a move back to the Vicente Calderon.
Throughout the summer, rumours were rife about the future of Diego Costa at Chelsea, with the Spaniard expected to leave after what was a horrendous season for the club. The Blues were linked with moves for Gonzalo Higuain, Alvaro Morata and even Romelu Lukaku. All of them were to replace Diego Costa who seemed almost sure to leave Stamford Bridge this summer. But in a recent report, he confirmed his desire to leave a few months ago, saying “I wanted to go back, I won’t lie about it.”
Earlier in the summer, Atletico Madrid President Enrique Cerezo said “We are there, he wants to come. But that is already complicated,” when he was asked about a possible return for Diego Costa. He claimed that the price tag was a big factor and Atletico were looking for an affordable striker. Los Rojiblancos have since gone on to buy Kevin Gameiro from Sevilla. A point came in the summer when Costa was reported to have told the Chelsea hierarchy of his desire to leave.
In a recent interview given to Movistar, a Spanish TV network, the Spanish international striker revealed that a move to Atletico was on the cards, but didn’t happen due to a ‘few details’. He said “Everybody knows there was a possibility of going back to Atlético but it didn’t happen because of a few details. I thank the fans and Cholo for his faith.” However, he insisted that he was happy at Chelsea and wished his former side the very best, saying “Now I’m at Chelsea, I’m happy there and I’ve started the season with them. I hope Atlético do well this season like last year and win titles.” [via AS]
In his two seasons in London, the striker has had highs and lows – winning the Premier League title and the Capital One Cup in his first season and finishing 10th and trophy-less the following season. He’s scored 34 Premier League goals in 57 Premier League appearances for the Blues. Despite a decent scoring record, the 27-year-old had never quite been able to adjust to life in England. But it was reported earlier that Antonio Conte wanted Costa to stay at Stamford Bridge and lead his attack, and he has since justified his manager’s faith. Costa helped Chelsea start off their season in the best possible way, scoring stoppage time winners in the first two Premier League matches.