Chelsea FC made a few big time signings this summer in Cesc Fabregas and Diego Costa. Both players filled big time needs in the Chelsea squad with Fabregas replacing Frank Lampard in midfield and Costa replacing Demba Ba, Samuel Eto’o, and Fernando Torres all at once.
Both players played an integral role in Chelsea FC’s success this season but who was the better signing?
Its not an easy question to answer so we polled some of our excellent staff members and asked for a short explanation why they favored one player over the other.
Here is what they had to say:
Lee: Diego Costa for me. My reason for that is that he does what Didier Drogba did in his prime, occupies the centre backs so the rest of the attacking players can run through the gaps!
Johann: Cesc for sure. He’s more crucial to a good game, and Remy was a good enough deputy that I wouldn’t have missed Costa much.
Ajitesh: It has to be Cesc. Diego got goals but Fabregas did all the work behind it, topping the league assists table by a mile. Furthermore, he played 34 times and looks far more reliable in terms of injuries going forward.
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Andrew: For me, Diego Costa. Before Diego we struggled to find an intimidating, physical striker who can hold up the ball and get the goals (a la Drogba). He makes us a more complete side and frees up room for Hazard to roam and score.
Joshua: Diego Costa in my opinion. They needed a cold blooded striker and Diego provided that boost for the squad. He had an edge that Chelsea needed on a game by game basis.
Tyler: Has to be Costa. Not because he was better overall, but because we needed a striker more. The amount of opportunities that he created and finished was what made us champions so early on (before the injury).
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David: Lets talk about Cesc! I loved what Costa did this year, and the fact that he almost won the scoring title despite missing time speaks volumes about his skill. But I’d rather have someone who’s more durable, more consistent, and more reliable. Fabregas’ production this season really can’t be understated, and while Costa was a great finisher, Fabregas was responsible for at least 80% of his goals.
He also played throughout the midfield, either playing deep with Matic or joining the attack as a number 10. I love players who can play multiple positions like that and can transition from defence to attack. To me, those types of players are the most valuable in the world. The fact that he’s (another) former Gunner who came to Chelsea and won a trophy with us makes it that much sweeter.
Brendan: I always think the answers to questions like this come down to some form of “If you replaced excellent Player X with an average player Y, what would the result be?”
So, for fun let’s replace Diego Costa with an average to above average BPL striker, maybe Glenn Murray of CP or Gomis from the Swans, and Cesc with Gareth Berry or James McCarthy from Everton… which drop off feels greater?
I know it’s not a perfect way to do things, but I think it highlights the degrees with which a player can impact the game. Using that rationale, I think it’s Diego Costa.
Final Count: Fabregas 3 , Diego Costa 5
So there you have it, the Pride of London staff thought that Diego Costa signing was the better of the two and that Costa was more important for Chelsea’s success this season. Who do you think was the better signing? Let us know in the comments below!
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