Atletico Madrid Keen On Signing Costa

Atletico Madrid are interested in re- signing Diego Costa from Chelsea this summer, but only for a price they consider reasonable for the 28-year-old, fuelling a situation that threatens to complicate the Premier League champions’ reinforcement plans for this
summer.

The Spanish international made an assertive stance after Chelsea’s 2-1 defeat to Arsenal in Saturday’s FA Cup final, repeatedly insisting that he has no interest in going to China and that the only club he would leave Stamford Bridge for are Atletico, who he left in 2014 to come to England.

Manager Antonio Conte wants to reshape and enhance his forward line this summer, with Everton’s Romelu Lukaku and Arsenal’s Alexis Sanchez among the club’s top targets, and it is understood that one plan had been to sell Costa to fund such deals.

While Tianjin Quanjin would pay £76m for the striker, Atletico are only willing to go to around £20m, having sold him for £32m as a 25-year-old three years ago.

Costa’s reluctance to go to anywhere but his old club will disrupt such plans, and likely cause a rethink.