Reports: Chelsea FC Reject Audacious Atletico Madrid Bid
Chelsea FC have apparently been accosted with an audacious swap deal by Atletico Madrid which the Blues have rejected.
Atletico Madrid have reportedly made a daring attempt to bring Diego Costa back to the Vicente Calderon as the transfer window reaches its conclusion. The Chelsea striker made a name for himself under Diego Simeone’s stewardship and he is believed to be open to a return.
With the Blues’ interest in Atleti forward Jackson Martinez, the Mirror claims that the Spanish outfit tried to involve him as a makeweight to force through the deal.
"Atletico Madrid have had a stunning late approach to take Diego Costa back to Spain rejected by Chelsea…Atletico are understood to have tried to take advantage of Chelsea’s interest in 29-year-old Martinez by offering a swap deal."
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Rumours in fact emerged in the summer suggesting that Costa was finding it hard to settle in at Stamford Bridge. These claims were rubbished at the time, especially after he scored 20 times in 26 Premier League appearances last term. However, as he continued to struggle through the first half of this campaign, the summer’s reports appeared increasingly more viable.
Cost has found some form since Guus Hiddink took over from Jose Mourinho, but speculation regarding a Stamford Bridge exit persist. Given the adoration that he commanded from the Atleti fans and his affection for Simeone, you can understand why.
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Jackson Martinez, meanwhile, has failed to impress since coming over from Porto in a big-money move in the summer. The Colombian cost Atletico some €35 million, but he has done little to repay the fee thus far. Martinez has scored just three goals in 22 competitive appearances this season, a less than ideal return for a team looking for a league title.
Despite his disappointing form, Chelsea are still interested in the striker and for good reason too. Before his switch, Martinez scored over 20 league goals in three consecutive campaigns. He hit the back of the net 92 times on the 132 occasions that he turned out for Porto.
Often, players do take a while to settle into Simeone’s unique management system (Antoine Griezmann being a case in point), thus it seems bizarre that Atletico are willing to let a potential star go prematurely. Having said that, the relationship between the club and Costa is strong enough that they would make a sacrifice in an attempt to bring him home.
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While the Blues have rejected this offer at the moment, it will be interesting to see whether the Spaniards return with another bid as the deadline nears. Given their impending transfer ban, you cannot rule it out.