Diego Simeone Addresses Mauro Icardi Transfer Rumours, Diego Costa Return

Atletico Madrid manager Diego Simeone refused to be drawn into the transfer speculation involving his club and Inter Milan forward Mauro Icardi, and he has great hopes for the returning Diego Costa, who is set to make his first appearance in La Liga this season on Sunday.

Per AS, Simeone faced the press ahead of Sunday's match against Eibar, and he was asked about the transfer window and the rumours involving Icardi.

Atletico are reportedly negotiating a loan deal for the Argentinian, but Simeone chose to avoid the subject:

"I always say the same. I can't really speak about players that are not here. Obviously I only speak about players that we have. ...

"We are still waiting for it to close to know definitively and exactly what players will be with us until December, because in December there is new option. But it's clear, I don't want to keep repeating it would prefer it to be like it is in England where it's solved before we start LaLiga. So we can start with the whole squad we have for the season."

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He also discussed Costa's importance to the squad:

"I have always declared the effect he has, Diego. I always said it and feel it. He is a very important player for the team and for this club. I hope that this season he shows this group just how competitive he is and how strong he is as a striker. He has had a great pre-season and tomorrow he will kick off his league and for sure he will start that with a lot of ambition."

Icardi has been strongly linked with a move away from Inter throughout summer, and the relationship between the 26-year-old and the Nerazzurri appears as fractured as it has ever been:

Per the Associated Press (h/t Sky Sports), problems arose between Inter and Icardi over a contract dispute in January. He was then stripped of the captaincy and lost his No. 9 shirt to new arrival Romelu Lukaku.

Icardi's wife and agent, Wanda Nara, told Tiki Taka he wants to stay in Milan and has been advised by someone at the club to do so (h/t Goal's Sean Wilson). CEO Giuseppe Marotta has made it clear to DAZN the striker is no longer in the team's plans and that they want him gone, however (h/t Wilson).

The transfer deadline for Serie A and La Liga is on Monday, so there's little time left to make a deal.

The loan to Atletico is an option, and sports writer Robbie Dunne believes it would make a lot of sense:

The Rojiblancos have built a strong squad over the summer, but the one type of player they lack is an ace striker. Costa is a useful workhorse up front, but he hasn't crossed the 20-goal mark in the league since the 2016-17 campaign for Chelsea. He has just five La Liga goals in his past two seasons combined.

Atletico have to replace Antoine Griezmann's goals, as their former ace scorer now plies his trade for Barcelona. They could do worse than bringing in Icardi, who scored 29 Serie A goals in the 2017-18 campaign.

He may not be the most well-rounded striker, but he's deadly in and around the box:

An attacking trident of Icardi, Costa and Joao Felix would we one of the best in Europe, and with both Barcelona and Real Madrid already dropping points in La Liga, it could be good enough for the Rojiblancos to win the title this year.