The £35 million man was identified early as the Blues primary summer target and their instincts are being vindicated by a swift adaptation to the Premier League He might have limped out of the Champions League final and had a disastrous World Cup but his Primera Division triumph with Atletico Madrid and now an electric start at Chelsea have made 2014 a year to remember for Diego Costa. Goal assesses how his move came about and just how well it is going for him at Stamford Bridge... THE DEAL Chelsea knew what they wanted and they wasted no time in getting it. The Blues took the first steps towards signing Costa in March, having earmarked him as their primary transfer target to solve their striking woes. As intermediaries from Chelsea spoke to Costa’s camp and steadily progressed negotiations, a deal was edging closer in April. Jose Mourinho’s side were willing to pay €44 million for the adopted Spain international and the offer on the table was to triple the wages that were seeing him earn around €63,000 per week at the Estadio Vicente Calderon. As fate would have it, Costa got an early look at Stamford Bridge at the end of April, when his penalty set up Atleti for a 3-1 win over his future team in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final. The Premier League side took the opportunity of his being in London to finalise a deal, with the striker agreeing a move less than 24 hours after knocking out Mourinho’s men. The transfer was one of the worst kept secrets in football at this point, as the 25-year-old headed to the World Cup with Spain. While at the tournament, Costa exclusively told Goal just why he was joining Chelsea, admitting he was excited to link up with “one of the greatest clubs of the world”. As soon as the transfer window officially opened on July 1, Chelsea announced that a deal had been agreed. The completion of all the paperwork followed two weeks later as Costa became a Blues player. THE STORY SO FAR Costa’s start to life as a Chelsea player has gone about as well as any summer transfer in recent memory. Despite some lingering fitness issues from the summer, the Brazilian-born forward has plundered nine goals in seven Premier League games, four more than anyone else in the top flight. As expected, his abrasive, combative approach to football has allowed him to slot in seamlessly and tear apart English defences through power, sheer force of will and genuine quality on the ball. Last season, Chelsea’s crippling weakness was the lack of a focal point up front. Costa has remedied that easily, providing them a great target for aerial balls (he has won 14 out of 30 aerial duels and all five of his headed shots have been on target) and allying it to the pace and awareness to pounce on through-balls from midfield. That particular angle has arguably been Chelsea’s most effective of a barnstorming start, his combination with the playmaking talents of fellow summer signing Cesc Fabregas taking on the air of a breaking strategy from a football video game. Four of his goals have been assisted by the ex-Barcelona star, who rivals him as the division’s single outstanding player at this early point of the season. Player Stats — Diego Da Silva Costa * General Games Played7Minutes Played589Starts7Interceptions4Substitution On0Substitution Off4Duels Won36.7%36.7%Aerial duels won46.7%46.7% INSTANT HIT | Costa has shot to the top of the Premier Leagues goal charts Costa always has options in front of goal. He gets in close against and then behind defenders (all of his strikes have come from inside the penalty box) and has demonstrated versatile finishing (four of his goals have come from his left foot, three from his right and two from his head) with 84.2 per cent accuracy. It is exceedingly difficult to shut him down – and, the more that opponents restrict his space in an effort to do so, the more space is left for the likes of Eden Hazard. There has been no question of having to settle in. Costa made a few enemies in Spain with his almost cartoonish on-pitch villainy when it comes to niggling fouls and winding-up of opponents and has immediately made his presence felt in a blue shirt, with three yellow cards in the league and 11 fouls conceded to his nine won. THE FUTURE It could hardly look brighter. Costa is not yet even at full fitness – or so Mourinho would have you believe, at least – and already he is making light work of Premier League defences. His combination with Fabregas is proving one of the most effective around and, with such a rich variety of talent around him in the attacking midfield line, Chelsea have so many ways to try to get the best out of him this season. Already his influence makes the Blues look like the favourites for domestic triumph this year and he should have plenty of good years left in him. €44m? A steal, which makes Costa an undoubted hit.
Posted on: Fri, 10 Oct 2014 10:28:11 +0000
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