Chelsea Transfer News: Thomas Muller Wanted Amid Diego Costa Exit Rumours

Chelsea will reportedly go head-to-head with Manchester United in pursuit of Bayern Munich star Thomas Muller as they seek to replace out-of-favour forward Diego Costa.

That’s according to Darren Lewis of the Daily Mirror, who wrote that the Spain international striker, left on the bench for the Blues’ 0-0 draw with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, could leave the club next summer, prompting the champions into buying a replacement either in January or at the end of the season.

It's said the German is on their wishlist.

Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images

Muller would be a tremendous signing for Chelsea if they were to get him in. Here’s a look at how he’s fared in direct statistical comparison to Costa in league matches this term:

	Muller	Costa
Apps (sub)	12 (2)	11
Goals	13	3
Assists	2	1
Shots per game	3.1	2.1
Key passes per game	2.1	1.2
Dribbles per game	1.6	1.4
Aerial duels won per game	1.4	1.3

The Blues striker looks unhappy at Stamford Bridge. He was a brutish, brilliant goalscorer at the point of the Chelsea attack last season, but he has been erratic, ponderous and unsettled in the division this term. His antics on Sunday, tossing a bib in the direction of Blues manager Jose Mourinho, were seemingly a manifestation of his discontent.

According to Neil Ashton of the Daily Mail, Mourinho will not punish Costa for his behaviour, suggesting the Portuguese is “deliberately provoking” the forward in the hope of prompting a reaction. However, Ashton also claims Costa has had issues keeping his weight down, is a little too fond of a tipple and has struggled to settle in England since his move from Atletico Madrid in 2014.

Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images

As we can see here, courtesy of Bleacher Report UK, Chelsea writer Garry Hayes thinks the Blues must stick with the 27-year-old, despite recent issues:

Whether Costa stays or doesn’t, the champions could do with some support at the point of the attack, with both Loic Remy and Radamel Falcao failing to show enough to suggest they can lead the Chelsea line. Naturally, Muller would be a magnificent option to have in this position.

Here’s a look at some of some of the German forward’s recent highlights, as he continues to make a major impact for Bayern:

Muller may not be the fastest, the strongest or the most skilful, but he’s a hugely effective forward. Capable of playing across the front line, the Germany international is exceptional at roaming into spaces on the pitch in advanced areas, linking up the play and seizing upon loose balls in the penalty area.

CHRISTOF STACHE/Getty Images

As we can see here, courtesy of Squawka, not only is Muller ruthlessly clinical when given chances, he’s getting more confident in front of goal too:

But it’d take a huge amount of money to lure the 26-year-old away from the region in which he grew up, and for a team that lost its heartbeat last summer when selling Bastian Schweinsteiger to Manchester United, letting another Bavarian leave would be a big blow. Plus, if a club as prestigious as Bayern doesn’t want to sell a player, and you can bet the Reds don’t want to part with Muller, they typically don’t go anywhere.

So if Chelsea are wanting to bolster their firepower in the January or next summer, it’s unlikely their pursuit of Muller will last for too long. The Stamford Bridge faithful would love to see Costa back at his best in 2016, and his return to form could ease the need for a new striker. But at the moment, he looks a shadow of the centre-forward who took the Premier League by storm in 2014-15.