Atletico Looking To Replace Griezmann With Barcelona Target Diego Costa
Reuters / Dylan Martinez
La Liga powerhouses Atletico Madrid and Barcelona are reportedly monitoring Diego Costa’s current situation at Chelsea.
The controversial forward is rumoured to have fallen out with new Blues boss Antonio Conte, due to which he was also left out of the squad in Chelsea’s 3-0 over reigning Premier League champions Leicester City. However, following the victory, the Italian boss claimed that the reason behind Costa’s absence was a possible back injury.
“I think before the game I told the truth and I repeat the truth because I like to and I don’t lie,” said Conte. “Diego stopped his training (on) Tuesday because he felt a pain in his back, for this reason he was not available. This is the truth.”
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But despite Conte’s statements, rumours of a rift between the manager and his star striker continue to persist, and these stories have given rise to huge transfer speculation.
According to Independent, both Atletico Madrid and Barcelona are now interested in signing the the 28-year-old.
Despite boasting one of the best attacks in world football, the Catalan giants seem to have already made initial contact with Costa’s agent over a potential summer transfer. The decorated La Liga club reportedly wants to find a comparatively younger replacement for Luis Suarez, who will turn 30 this month.
REUTERS/Sergio Perez
On the other hand, Atletico Madrid have been consistently keeping tabs on Costa, and will definitely attempt to bring their former striker back to the Spanish capital in the summer. Diego Simeone and co. are desperate to find a world-class replacement for their current star man Antoine Griezmann, who looks almost set to make a summer move worth £100m to Manchester United.
Costa did speak about the possibility of a return to Atletico on New Year’s Day, by telling the media: “I had the possibility to go to Atletico, because of a few things, the family, the life I have there, but not because of Chelsea, because here, there’s a lot of love with the supporters, with the people, so I’m here very happy.”
Chelsea currently value the Spain international at £40m, but the figure could very well go up due to interest from the likes of Barcelona.
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