Chelsea and Arsenal are reportedly set to go head-to-head to sign Helder Costa from Wolverhampton Wanderers in the summer.
The Sun have reported that Chelsea and Arsenal are all set to battle it out for Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Helder Costa in the summer. The Portuguese youngster has also been eyed by a host of other Premier League clubs, and a summer move to the English top flight is looking likely.
Helder Costa is another product of the illustrious Benfica academy, but never made the senior cut. He appeared 72 times for Benfica B and was sent on multiple loan spells before joining Wolverhampton Wanderers last summer.
The move to the Molineux has seen Costa blossom into a dangerous winger, with the 23-year-old a regular for Wolves. Costa has amassed 36 appearances for the club and is the club’s top scorer this season so far – brilliant, especially given the fact that he is a winger.
In all, Costa has scored 10 goals in addition to 9 assists – a healthy return for a winger in his first season in England – and his explosive performances saw Wolverhampton sign the youngster permanently in a £13 million deal in January.
His stellar showings for Wolves have resulted in clubs from the Premier League taking note of his talent. Costa was particularly impressive when Liverpool were dumped out of the FA Cup by Wolverhampton, where Costa ran their defence ragged and assisted both goals.
And now, Chelsea and Arsenal have set their sights on the 23-year-old for a possible summer move. The Blues boss Antonio Conte has been eyeing Costa ever since his side met Wolves in the FA Cup last month, having had the player scouted ever since.
The Chelsea manager is aiming to bolster his options in attack, where he only has Eden Hazard, Willian and Pedro as his recognised options, as Chelsea appear set to compete on four fronts next season. But, the Premier League leaders could face competition in the form of Arsenal to sign Costa.
The North London club are in a precarious situation, with the likes of Alexis Sanchez, Mesut Ozil, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Lucas Perez all rumoured for a summer departure from the Emirates Stadium. As a result, an attacking reinforcement could be top priority for Arsenal when come June.
At 23, Costa represents a long-term attacking solution for both clubs and the report states that an offer of £20 million could be enough to sign the player. And with Wolverhampton battling relegation, Costa could be tempted to make the switch to Premier League should the club drop to League One at the end of the season.
