Chelsea Transfer News: Latest on Diego Costa and Kalidou Koulibaly Rumours

Chelsea centre-forward Diego Costa is keen to return to former club Atletico Madrid this summer despite the Blues’ willingness to keep him.

That’s according to Adrian Kajumba of the Daily Mirror, who reported the striker "has reiterated his desire to leave Chelsea” with his "heart set on a return to Atletico." However, new manager Antonio Conte wants to keep the striker at Stamford Bridge for his debut season in charge.

Indeed, Costa is also reportedly ready to accept this decision. "The fiery frontman has, though, insisted he won’t kick up a fuss and agitate for a move because of his respect for the club," added Kajumba. "Atletico also don’t want to aggravate the situation and risk damaging their strong relationship with Chelsea so will step back and let the situation play out."

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The 2016-17 season will be a fascinating one for the forward. After taking the Premier League by storm in his debut campaign at the club, helping Chelsea win the title in 2014-15, he failed to fire quite so frequently last term.

Still, he’s an effective forward for Conte to work with. As these numbers from Squawka Football show, the 27-year-old has brilliant predatory instincts:

Costa is so much more than a goalscorer, though, something that made him so popular with the fans of Atletico and Chelsea. He’s got a nasty streak that riles defenders and is prone to indulging in some playacting. The Spain international poses an awkward challenge for opponents.

Atletico boss Diego Simeone brought the best out of Costa in his final season in the Spanish capital, as he was a wrecking ball at the point of the team’s attack. A reunion would be intriguing to see unfold, but for Chelsea, who already have a short supply of strikers, losing him at this stage of the summer would be a blow.

Kalidou Koulibaly Wants Blues Move

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According to Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph, Napoli centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly prefers a move to Chelsea over Everton, as the two Premier League clubs continue to battle for his signature.

Law noted that Everton’s interest in the Senegal international has “driven up the price” of the defender and that though the Toffees are chasing a potential replacement for John Stones, Koulibaly wants to make the switch to Stamford Bridge.

The Napoli man has made steady progress at the Stadio San Paolo since arriving in 2014 and was one of the Serie A's standout centre-backs in 2015-16. Here is a look at what he can offer:

If Koulibaly were to move to Everton, he’d be much more likely to see regular first-team football, especially if Stones were to join Manchester City, as Law reported could happen. With Ronald Koeman in charge and the promise of new investment from shareholder Farhad Moshiri, there’s an exciting future to come for the Toffees.

Even so, Chelsea are better placed to battle among the Premier League’s big boys, and Conte is a coach the player would surely be keen to work under. Still, Sport Witness is unsure whether it would be worth the Blues spending big on the 25-year-old:

Koulibaly seems an ideal fit for English football. The Napoli man is extremely strong, relishes one-on-one battles and is commanding in the air. Additionally, he’s a composed distributor at the base of the team, a trait that sets him apart from the average enforcing centre-back.

It’s a position the Blues need to address ahead of the new season, and Koulibaly seems a brilliant option. Given Everton’s interest, he could end up being a costly acquisition, but should it come down to a straight fight between the two, the lure of working with Conte will surely swing things Chelsea’s way.