Former Manchester City defender Micah Richards has suggested that his former side should sign Diego Costa.
Costa is currently a free agent after his contract at Atletico Madrid was terminated in December. Prior to that, he had endured a tough spell at Los Rojiblancos, netting just 19 goals in three years in all competitions.
However, the Spaniard was once considered one of the world’s top strikers during his time at Chelsea. He scored 52 goals in 89 Premier League appearances for the Blues, lifting the trophy twice under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte.
Several clubs have been linked with a move for the 32-year-old, although he still remains unattached. English pundit Micah Richards is now urging City to bring the forward in on a short-term deal.
Writing for the BBC, Richards said: “Manchester City are already on a ridiculously good run of form but if they signed Diego Costa now, he would win them the Premier League – I am sure of it.
“Why not get him (Costa) in until the end of the season? He would do more than just ruffle a few feathers and be a pain in the backside for opposition defences – he is a proven finisher who would offer Pep Guardiola’s side a proper plan B.”
Pep Guardiola’s squad is currently lacking natural strikers. Sergio Aguero has suffered with fitness issues for a while now, and may not be the same player he once was. This has left Gabriel Jesus as the club’s only out-and-out forward, with the likes of Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne occasionally filling in up top.
Richards expressed his concern with Jesus, claiming that the Brazilian drops deep too often.
“I like Jesus a lot, and he is far more than just a grafter, but when I watch him he is not always looking to get on the end of balls into the box like he did against Cheltenham in the FA Cup on Saturday – he is often lurking deeper or on the left, linking play,” he added.
“It means City sometimes don’t have a focal point. If they had someone who constantly wanted to run in behind defences then, with their creative players looking for them, I honestly think they would be frightening. They would clean up, no matter how teams tried to stop them.”
City are currently second in the Premier League, two points off bitter rivals Manchester United with a game in hand. They boast the division’s best defensive record, although they have scored the fewest in the top five.
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