Diego Costa Agrees To Join Atletico Despite Their Transfer Ban: Could Be Without Professional Football For 5 Months

Diego Costa has agreed personal with his former club Atletico Madrid and will soon be travelling back to Spain, according to the Spanish news outlet AS.

Sources close to the 28-year-old have reportedly told the aforementioned newspaper that a move is on the card as the striker himself is looking desperate for the two clubs to reach an agreement and finalise the transfer. Furthermore, it is also reported that Atletico Madrid, who are banned from signing any player until January 2018, have already lodged a £26million offer for the striker, but Chelsea are demanding more, and quite rightly so as they will be looking to recoup the £32m they paid Atletico back in 2014 in acquiring his signature.

The pre-season tour is about to kick-off and the players are well expected to travel back to training, but Costa, on his part, is due to return to England. Only a month back, he firmly revealed that he received a text from Antonio Conte where he was told that Conte doesn’t see him in his plans next season, and this is when the news about him going back to Spain broke out (Telegraph).

“I’m a Chelsea player, but they do not want me there. Antonio Conte has told me by a message that I do not follow at Chelsea and that’s it. Conte said he did not count on me for next season.”

Following that, Daily Telegraph – earlier this month – reported that Costa is set to make an emotional return to Atlético Madrid and in the following story, they quoted that the 28-year-old has already fared goodbye to his Chelsea teammates and is expecting the Ros Rojiblancos to come up with a better offer.

And in case you don’t know; even if Costa manages to make an exit route back to Spain this summer, he won’t be able to play the professional football until January 2018, thanks to Atletico’s transfer embargo – which also saw them missing out on Alexandre Lacazette who accepted personal terms with the Spaniards, only to be denied by their ban. That means, he will be missing a whopping five months of professional football.

Costa has made his mind of moving on to Spain, but it remains to be seen whether Atletico will come up with a better offer or not.