In yet another twist in the ever-evolving Diego Costa transfer saga, it has been reported that Atletico Madrid are working on a contact extension for the €40m man, with the Brazilian’s summer move to Stamford Bridge far from being a sure thing.
Costa, 25, is said to be the Blues’ number one transfer target this summer, with Jose Mourinho desperate to bulk up his poor strike force in order to mount a sustained assault on the Premier League and Champions League next season.
Following Chelsea’s European exit at the hands of Atletico, rumour spread that Costa had finally agreed to move to Stamford Bridge this summer, with some claiming that Fernando Torres will go the other way as a makeweight.
But now the noted transfer gurus at ‘gianlucadimarzio.com’ have claimed that Atletico, despite manager Diego Simone’s words last month, are looking to stand in the way of the transfer, and are working behind the scenes on a contract extension for their super-striker.
The report mentions an exit clause in the player’s contract, and that the club are looking to protect themselves from losing control of the situation by getting Costa to agree to a new deal.
Whether this is a power play in order to extract the most amount of money out of Chelsea come the summer remains to be seen, but then again, why would Costa leave if the club manage the unthinkable, and collect the La Liga and Champions League double come May?
The saga is expected to continue, shrouded in mystery, until the end of the season.
What do you think? Would Costa be willing to swap Simeone for Mourinho in the summer? Should he be Chelsea’s number one transfer target? Let me know in the comments below…
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