Chelsea could reportedly be set for a reunion with Diego Costa already, as the Spaniard is expected to be paraded in front of Atletico Madrid fans on Wednesday night.
The 28-year-old landed in Madrid on Friday ahead of undergoing his medical and officially completing his return to Atleti, while he was in the stands at the Wanda Metropolitano on Saturday during the 2-0 win over Sevilla.
However, according to The Sun, while he’s expected to complete his £57m move in the next few days, he could be unveiled to the Atletico supporters on Wednesday night when they welcome Chelsea to the Spanish capital for their Champions League clash.
Given that Costa refused to report for training and failed to feature at all to start the season with the Premier League champions, it could be an awkward first encounter for him and some of the Chelsea players who perhaps didn’t agree with his approach to getting an exit.
The likes of Eden Hazard have paid tribute to him on social media while Antonio Conte played down such talk in his press conference this week, but having failed to split on the best of terms, it remains to be seen what kind of welcome he gets from his former teammates who haven’t seen him since the end of last season.
Costa scored 59 goals in 120 appearances for Chelsea during a three-year stint in which he also won two Premier League titles, and so he’ll surely have fond memories and an ongoing close relationship with supporters.
However, he now looks set for a new chapter in his career, although he can’t be officially registered by Atleti until January when their transfer ban is lifted and so his participation on Wednesday could be limited to a brief appearance on the pitch prior to kick-off.
The Wanda Metropolitano atmosphere has already been praised as Atleti get used to their new home, and parading Costa around before the game could raise the noise further to make it an uncomfortable night for Chelsea.