There have been rumors and murmurings for a couple of months now that Chelsea’s striker Diego Costa’s family has not settled well in London and that they want to move back to Spain.
Those rumors were given some credence on Sunday when the Telegraph reported that on Spanish journalist Francois Gallardo claims that Costa could be on the way to Real Madrid and told El Chiringuito that the Brazil-born forward has been offered to the Spanish giants.
The club and player have denied the claims but it was reported earlier this week that Costa could be heading back to Madrid just 12 months after making his £32m switch from Atletico.
Costa played a pivotal role in Chelsea’s title winning side, scoring 19 goals in 37 matches despite struggling with injuries at various points and also being handed a three-match ban for a stamping offence.
Costa’s situation hasn’t been helped after he split with his girlfriend and has been struggling with his attempts to learn English.
The language barrier has been exacerbated by Costa’s injury problems, which have given him extra time to make trips back to Spain and have friends and family join him in England.
Costa travelled with the Chelsea squad for the post-season games in Bangkok and Sydney, but only lasted 25 minutes as a second-half substitute against a Thai All-Stars team.
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho hinted that Costa needed to rest his mind, as well as his body, by saying:
“Diego was feeling tired, so we had to protect him.”
Losing Costa would be a huge blow for Chelsea. His style of play is perfect for the Premier League and when fit, he is the second best striker in the league behind Man City’s Sergio Agüero.
If Costa does leave this summer, who would you like to see Chelsea bring in to replace him?
