Atletico Madrid are reportedly set to make a £50m bid for Chelsea striker Diego Costa as he continues to wait for an escape from Stamford Bridge.
The 28-year-old has refused to return to London despite the season getting underway as he looks for an exit having been told by Antonio Conte that he isn’t part of his plans moving forward.
As well as insisting that he feels as though he’s been treated “like a criminal” by the club, it’s been a controversial few weeks for the Spanish international who has made it clear that he wants to move on.
The Daily Mail report that Atletico are preparing to offer him his dream switch which has always been a return to his former club, and they’re willing to bid £41m with a further £9m in add-ons.
It’s claimed that Chelsea want £60m for Costa, but this still represents a profit on the £32m that they spent to sign him from Atleti, as noted by the Mail, and so it has to be seen as the solution to the problem.
The report adds that there is still the threat of legal action from both parties, and so this messy situation won’t entirely be fixed by a departure.
Nevertheless, Costa should now get his wish and although he won’t be able to officially complete his move and play for Atletico until January due to their transfer ban, he’ll be delighted to be heading back to Spain, provided that an agreement is now reached between the two clubs.