There have been various rumours of players coming in and moving out of Chelsea in the summer transfer window, with Antonio Conte all set to take over the club, after the European championships. The former Juventus manager has been given the responsibility of getting things back on track for the Blues, as they wish to win more titles once again in the upcoming campaign. With that said and done, it will be up to Conte to not just sign new stars, but retain the existing ones as well.
One such player who has been linked with a move away from west London in recent times has been striker Diego Costa, with former Atletico Madrid’s president now confirming the same as well.
The player could be heading back to Spain to rejoin his former club, though the move would not make too much sense, at present.
The Brazilian born striker was dropped from the Spanish national side for the Euro 2016 tournament due to his rash behaviour and indiscipline. Costa has not been known to be the “good boy” and ends up in trouble more often than not.
Despite that, the 27 year old attacker has managed to cement his place in the Blues’ first team and is now the first choice option to lead their front-line. He has pushed a lot of players down the pecking and Conte wanted him to stay at Stamford Bridge for the upcoming season as well, as the manager had stated recently.
If the player moves away from Chelsea, not a lot of clubs can afford to pay the fee and his monthly wages are really high as well. Even if he does complete his return to Spain, the problem is that he might not be the first choice striker under Diego Simeone now.
The Argentine manager has now got France international Antoine Griezmann as the man to lead his front-line on most occasions with Fernando Torres by his side. Luciano Vietto and Angel Correa are the backups, who are both quite young still and can be utilized for the years to come, with proper guidance.
This would mean that Costa will really have to fight for a regular place in the starting eleven at his former club, though he is known to be a renowned goal-scorer. Moreover, his form in the previous campaign was nothing great and injuries are also a major concern for the star.
The attacker made a total of 36 appearances last season in the league, scoring 14 goals and claiming 7 assists, which are great numbers, though the Blues had a rather pathetic season overall. Conte had a plan for the player and if he sticks around, he could have the Londoners get back to being champions under the ex Juve boss.
A move could make sense, though it would be risky as the player is well set at the club right now and has a good bonding with his team-mates. A tough decision for Costa and hopefully Conte can convince him to stay, for his own good!!