Chelsea Transfer News: Diego Costa Return Discussed by Atletico, Latest Rumours

Atletico Madrid President Enrique Cerezo has confirmed his club is interested in a reunion with Chelsea striker Diego Costa, but negotiations with the Blues for a summer transfer will be “nearly impossible.” 

According to John Cross of the Daily Mirror, Costa is ready to leave Stamford Bridge this summer and is eyeing a return to La Liga, as he's grown tired of his reputation as a constant source of controversy in England.

Cerezo told Onda Cero (h/t Cross) Atletico's interest in their former ace is “totally logical,” although fans shouldn't get their hopes up too much: “Costa has a contract with Chelsea. Many times a club wants a player who us under contract. It is totally logical that Atletico is interested in the return of the striker but to negotiate with Chelsea is very hard, nearly impossible.”

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On Monday, Chelsea announced Italy national team manager Antonio Conte will become the club's next coach, and while the former Juventus boss still has his hands full preparing for UEFA Euro 2016, he and his assistants will have already started work on figuring out what the squad should look like next season.

Costa's future will be hotly debated, and per Cross, the Blues hope the arrival of Conte will convince him to stay. Per the BBC's Neil Henderson, the Daily Telegraph paints a different picture:

Per WhoScored.com, Costa has bounced back from a rough start to the season to score 11 goals in the Premier League so far, but once again, his campaign has been overshadowed by a handful of incidents.

Per Dominic Fifield of the Guardian, he has received bans for on-pitch incidents on multiple occasions. His most recent ban came for his conduct after he received a red card in an FA Cup match against Everton, the highlights of which you can see below, via the FA's official YouTube channel:

The Spain international is known for his antics and ability to get into the heads of his opponents as much as his scoring prowess, and when the goals didn't fall for him during the first half of the season, fans and pundits alike turned against him.

While the goals may have returned for Costa, those sentiments haven't changed. ESPN FC's Mark Worrall urged Conte to part with Costa as soon as he can:

"

Come kick-off in August, Conte needs to have a fully committed dressing room packed with players who can keep a cool head and won't shirk responsibilities in the face of adversity. In this respect, Costa is a liability the Italian simply can't afford with which to take a risk. Another mid-season battle of wills between two headstrong men could spell disaster.

"

Worrall pointed at Everton forward and former Chelsea star Romelu Lukaku as a possible replacement, and so did Mark Ogden of the Independent, who claimed Conte wants to sign the Belgian as competition for Costa, or even as a possible replacement.

Like Costa, Lukaku is a big, physical striker who can use his body to create space inside the box. The youngster is mobile and a strong aerial presence, and his scoring numbers stack up well against those of just about anyone, per BreatheSport:

"

Most club goals by the age of 22:

Lukaku - 119
Owen - 111
Ronaldo - 97
Rooney - 94
Suarez - 77
Henry - 57 pic.twitter.com/XBqXlrvJmj

— BreatheSport (@BreatheSport) March 13, 2016"

Lukaku wouldn't come cheap, however, and while the Blues are expected to spend big during the summer transfer window, they may not be keen on blowing most of their budget on a star striker if they have someone like Costa to fall back on.

This saga will likely come down to Costa's wishes. Conte is more of a motivational manager than a pure tactician, and he wants to work with players who buy into his philosophy and want to lay their lives on the line for the club.

If Costa wants to leave London, Conte won't force him to stay, knowing he could use the funds of his sale to bring in a replacement who wants to work with the Italian and won't cause as much controversy on the pitch.

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