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Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has said he is on the verge of re-signing Diego Costa from Chelsea after the Spain international struggled with form and injury during his second season at Stamford Bridge.
The supremo told Italian publication Gazzetta dello Sport's dedicated transfer website Gazzamercato he is not interested in a host of strikers Atleti are linked with from Serie A, as he has the capture of Costa within his sights (h/t Mirko Calemme of AS).
[Carlos] Bacca is a great player but we are not going to sign him. We are not going to sign any striker from Serie A, the same goes for [Gonzalo] Higuain and all the other players that have been mentioned.[...]
His [Mauro Icardi] name is not on our agenda, we aren’t going to enter negotiations for him.[...]
We like him [Diego Costa] a lot, I admit it. We have spoken to the player and we’re working to bring him back to Madrid. It’s close, but I can’t say any more than that.
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However, Simon Johnson of the London Evening Standard reported the Brazil-born forward is "expected" to stay at the Bridge and hasn't requested a transfer away from west London.
Johnson says Atletico are "desperate" to bring Costa back to the Vicente Calderon Stadium, but new manager Antonio Conte wants to retain the powerful player.
Costa has hit 32 goals in 51 starts in all competitions for Chelsea, according to Johnson, but the striker was clearly affected last term as ex-boss Jose Mourinho was shown the door. Costa has returned fully fit to London for pre-season training and is expected to play in a two-man attack with recent addition Michy Batshuayi from Marseille.
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In other news, Conte wants to reintegrate Juan Cuadrado back into the Chelsea squad after it appeared he had no future with the Blues. The Italian is a fan of the winger and wants to see if he can deliver under his stewardship, according to BBC Sport.
"I wanted him when I was Juventus coach. He will come back very soon and train and play with us," said Conte. "Now, he's a Chelsea player and he'll stay with us. If something changes you'll know."
Here is a video of Cuadrado in recent action:
Football writer Rupert Fryer speculated whether the retention of Willian at Chelsea would affect Cuadrado's status:
Cuadrado was one of the stars of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and his signature was desired by many clubs across Europe. He landed at Chelsea under Mourinho but struggled to deliver in the the physically demanding Premier League, often being left on the bench.
However, he has looked refreshed at Juve, and an Italian coach might be all he needs to get the best from his assets once again.
Costa is a conundrum for the new manager; at his best, he is certainly one of Europe's alpha-male strikers.
He can score goals every week and gives Chelsea a physical presence they demanded under previous regimes.
If Conte wants to play Costa in a two, it might revitalise the Spanish star, providing him with a foil as he goes on the goal trail once again.
Should Chelsea sell Costa and find a new primary striker?
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