£22m Rated Striker Reveals Liverpool Interest

Liverpool have tried to make at least one marquee signing this season and amongst several stars they chased, Diego Costa was one. The Atletico Madrid striker for whom Liverpool bid an amount as staggering as £22m but ultimately the player wanted to stay at Atletico and extend his contract in the process. Costa, now has validated LFC’s interest in him and said that he was close to joining the Anfield club.

“I was close to leaving, Liverpool are a great team,” he said to Mundo Deportivo. “But after fighting so hard and overcoming difficulties to get my place at Atletico, how could I leave?”

His decision was justified enough as Atletico could offer Costa Champions League football unlike Liverpool who have been trying to break into the top four for quite some time now. In the interview he also chose to mention about the tough group that Atletico have been pitted into.

“I thought it was very important to keep growing at the Colchoneros, and play here for many years,” he added.  “Porto are a team with a lot of traditions in this competition, Zenit are a great team too. It’s a difficult group, but we knew we wouldn’t have an easy group in the Champions League, considering what could have happened, the group is good.”

In othew news, Liverpool’s latest addition Tiago Ilori has mentioned that he would one day like to play for England, although he has not ruled out playing for Portugal as well. Ilori joined Liverpool from Sporting Lisbon on the last day of the transfer window for a stipulated fee of £7m.

“I think I would like to stay loyal to Portugal as I’ve played in every age group for them. But I would never close any doors and there is no decision to make yet. If I have the choice then it is not a bad choice to have. I lived in a few places around Kentish Town. I was eight when we moved to Portugal. My mum is Portuguese. I didn’t play in any football league when I was in London but just played with my friends. My English family are originally from Manchester and they all moved to London. My dad was born in London as well,” Ilori mention in an interview to Liverpool Echo.