Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa has regrets over signing a pre-contract agreement with Chelsea and is being tempted to stay put at the Vicente Calderon by the Spanish club’s CEO Gil Marin, who is offering the Brazil-born Spain international a pay rise to continue with the La Liga champions.
This information comes courtesy of El Confidencial, who claim Costa would need to pay a penalty fee in order to break the £32m agreement with Chelsea. It was reported earlier this month that the Premier League side had struck a deal to sign the 25-year-old who has scored 36 goals in 51 appearances for the beaten Champions League finalists this season.
Atletico’s esteemed coach Diego Simeone is putting pressure on the club’s hierarchy to keep their star players in order to build on what has been a quite remarkable campaign. That includes keeping hold of top scorer Costa, but it’s unclear at this stage whether there is any realistic chance of the prolific forward pulling the plug on his big-money move to Stamford Bridge.
Such a move would infuriate Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho, who has spent much of this season complaining that he lacks a proper goalscorer in his ranks. Fernando Torres, Demba Ba and Romelu Lukaku could all leave the west London outfit this summer, while Samuel Eto’o’s contract has expired.
The Blues’ manager is also interested in signing Bayern Munich forward Mario Mandzukic, but Costa remains the club’s primary summer transfer target.
It is also reported that Costa’s Atletico Madrid teammate Thibaut Courtois is keen to stay at the Vicente Calderon, too. However, as the Belgium international is contracted to Chelsea, it seems unlikely the brilliant 22-year-old goalkeeper will be allowed a fourth season away from Stamford Bridge on loan.
And, in other news, Chelsea have reportedly secured the signing of former Blues’ midfielder Tiago Mendes, who will re-join the Premier League club after his Atleti contract expired.
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