Back in the summer, rumours were swirling around that Diego Costa could be leaving Stamford Bridge under new boss Antonio Conte and Chelsea fans were rather sweating about the situation. However today, Costa is the manager’s most consistent player and losing him would a kick in the teeth.
Costa has contributed 10 goals and 4 assists so far this term, helping his side to stay put at the top of Premier League table. No surprise that a number of European clubs are tracking his availability and Inter Milan were recently linked with a move for the Spanish international.
According to CalcioMercato, the former Juventus and Italy manager is reportedly in the race to sign Colombian forward Luis Muriel who currently plays for Italian outfit Sampdoria. Dubbed as the ‘Colombian Ronaldo’, he was widely on the radar of top clubs during his time at Udinese however his dip in form, followed by demand, saw him moving to Sampdoria. This move rather amped up his appetite to hit full form once again, which he did. The 25-year-old has already scored 8 goals and delivered 5 assists in 15 matches this campaign. However, despite all his efforts in the attacking third, his team isn’t on par with his performance as they sit at the 11th position, 9 points off the Champions League spot.
The same source also states that the former Udinese player has a release clause of 28 million euros. However, Sampdoria president affirmed via Talksport says that his star striker has a release clause of 35 million euros. The fee wouldn’t be a burden to a club like Chelsea, especially if he continues to find the back of the net.
“To think, when Muriel wasn’t playing they wanted to give me €15m for him, when I paid €12m, but I said no. Muriel has a clause of €35m (£30.9m).”
Yet Conte is not interested in snapping him in the upcoming transfer window. He wants to constantly monitor if Muriel can sustain his superb run over the course of the season and would make a bid in the summer. This does not actually mean that the manager is taking a precautious measure in Costa’s situation as he could be tempted to play two strikers upfront. Despite making most of his name in England since moving to a 3-4-3 formation, Conte has deployed 3-5-2 and 4-4-2 in the past.
Besides the former Atletico Madrid striker, Conte has Michy Batshuayi at his disposal. The Belgian international arrived at Stamford Bridge from Marseille for a fee around £33 million in the previous transfer window yet has been predominantly watching matches from the bench, being an understudy of Diego Costa. The 23-year-old is quick, technically gifted yet needs a little more polishing to turn into a real gem.
On the other hand, if Muriel is keen to knot a deal with the Blues, all he’s got to do is continue hitting the ground to ensure the rumours don’t hit the bay.
Costa and Co will be on the road to the Etihad Stadium this weekend for a fiery battle against Manchester City. Besides the league’s top spot, the top scorer chart is on the line too, as Costa and Aguero currently share space at the peak with 10 goals.
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