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Atletico Madrid president swats down the latest Diego Costa transfer rumours

By George Perry

LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 22: Diego Costa (R) of Chelsea celebrates scoring the opening goal with his team mates during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Hull City at Stamford Bridge on January 22, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JANUARY 22: Diego Costa (R) of Chelsea celebrates scoring the opening goal with his team mates during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Hull City at Stamford Bridge on January 22, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) /
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Long after Diego Costa retires, we will still hear rumours about him returning to Atletico Madrid. Once more, Atletico’s president felt compelled to dismiss the latest batch of whispers.

Returns to Atletico Madrid seem to be the order of the day in the post-transfer window transfer rumour mill. Atletico’s president Enrique Cerezo batted away rumours that either (or both) Diego Costa or Sergio Aguero might return to the Vicente Calderon.

Aguero is supposedly falling out of favour with Pep Guardiola and Manchester City. Guardiola started Gabriel Jesus in place of Aguero in the last two Premier Leauge matches. Jesus scored both City goals against Swansea City and one against West Ham, putting a long road ahead of Aguero’s return to the starting XI.

Aguero’s rapid reversal of fortune even prompted a particularly silly rumour that Chelsea would pursue him in the summer. Three things highlight the absurdity of this chatter. First, the Mirror “broke” the “story.” Second, Manchester City may be dumb, but they are not “sell a dangerous striker to a top league rival” dumb.

Third, does anyone want to tell David Luiz and Nathaniel Chalobah about this?*

Enrique Cerezo also acknowledges that whatever drama took place between Diego Costa and Antonio Conte earlier in the season, it is all a bygone now. Costa’s dedicated play and full restoration to the club dynamic confirms for Cerezo that Chelsea will not put Costa on the market.

“He is at a great club. They say he is going to China, but I don’t see Chelsea letting him go,” Cerezo said.

One of the more unfortunate consequences of the ill-defined Costa-Conte incident is that it reignited the transfer rumours around Costa and Atletico Madrid. Costa’s offensive production and tight discipline during the win streak did more to end the squawking than any statements from any principle ever could.

Next: Antonio Conte's training ground: High standards, daily tactics sessions

*Bonus reason: Atletico Madrid is still under a transfer ban, pending an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

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