Atletico Madrid have made an unsuccessful late bid to sign Chelsea striker Diego Costa just 18 months after selling him to the Premier League champions.
The 27-year-old has struggled to replicate his form from last season, but has shown signs of improvement in recent weeks after scoring six goals in six games since Guus Hiddink replaced Jose Mourinho last month.
While Atleti have struggled to find goals from their new signing Jackson Martinez this season, it has forced them to consider their options.
According to The Mirror, they have attempted to take advantage of Chelsea’s interest in the Colombian international by offering a swap deal which would see Costa return to the Spanish capital.
However, Chelsea dismissed the offer and rejected a second that also involved a fee along with Martinez, as they are seemingly against selling their main striker ahead of the January transfer window deadline.
Hiddink remains unbeaten since taking the job at Stamford Bridge on an interim basis until the end of the season, and the Dutch tactician will hope Costa can continue to fire them up the table as they currently remain in the bottom half with 28 points from their 23 games so far this season.
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