Diego Costa still open to Atletico Madrid move despite transfer ban
Chelsea striker Diego Costa has revealed he would still be open to joining Atletico Madrid this summer despite the fact he wouldn’t be able to play for them until January.
Antonio Conte has told Costa he is free to leave Chelsea this summerr but the Spain international is not blessed with options and has refused to move to China with his focus on making the 2018 World Cup.
Atletico can still sign players this summer but can’t register new arrivals until January after their FIFA-imposed transfer ban was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport [CAS] at the start of June, which will make it difficult to convince players to join them during this transfer window.
However, they have been given a boost in their pursuit of Costa after he revealed he would be willing to return to the club before going out on loan somewhere else until January.
“Signing for Atletico doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t be playing,” he told Cadena SER, via Football Espana. “I could be loaned out.
“Chelsea are my owners. If they want to sell me, they’ll have to sell me. Conte? There are ways to do and say things… thank God that I’m not without a team.”
Chelsea paid in the region of £30m to sign Costa from Atletico in 2014 but they are now looking to rid themselves of his services despite the fact he has played an integral part in two Premier League winning campaigns since then.
Conte wants to build on last season's league title triumph by bringing Everton striker Romelu Lukaku back to Stamford Bridge to replace Costa as his No.1 striker.
However, Chelsea now stand to lose millions on Costa after the striker sensationally revealed on international duty with Spain last week that Conte told him by text message he has no future at the club.
In the last three Premier League campaigns only Harry Kane (75), Sergio Aguero (70), Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku (53) have scored more goals than Costa (52).
For more stats on Diego Costa, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
