Diego Costa ‘wanted by Fenerbahce this summer as Atletico Madrid prepare to move him away from the club’ with sporting director and ex-Atleti midfielder Emre Belozoglu crucial in talks with the striker
- Diego Costa is wanted by Turkish giants Fenerbahce, according to reports
- The striker has reportedly been put up for sale by current club Atletico Madrid
- Costa has scored just ten league goals in his last three seasons in Spain
Diego Costa is being chased by Turkish side Fenerbahce as the striker prepares to leave Atletico Madrid this summer, according to reports.
The 31-year-old has fallen down the pecking order in Diego Simone’s side in recent seasons following the rise to form of Joao Felix and Alvaro Morata and could leave the Wanda Metropolitano over the coming months.
Costa’s contract at the LaLiga club ends in just under a year’s time and Atleti could be forced to part company with the forward in order to raise funds from his sale.
Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa is wanted by Fenerbahce, according to reports in Turkey
And according to Turkish media, as cited by Spanish news outlet AS, Fenerbahce are making strides towards making an offer for the forward, with the club’s sporting director Emre Belozoglu pivotal in the deal.
Emre played with Costa at Atletico Madrid for six months in 2013 and has reportedly called his former team-mate to try and convince him to swap Spain for Turkey.
It would not be the first time that the striker has been tempted with a move to the Turkish Super Lig as Costa almost joined Besiktas back in 2011 but failed a medical there following a serious knee injury.
The 31-year-old has reportedly been placed up for sale by the Spanish club this summer
The reports also say that Costa has been earmarked by Atletico as one of the players they are willing to sell this summer.
The player’s wages are reportedly a problem for Fenerbahce but the Turkish club could use the money raised from selling former forward Vedat Muriqi to Lazio for £16.5million to help finance the deal.
Costa was a big name in the Premier League with Chelsea and led them to two top-flight titles in England in 2015 and 2017.
Costa has scored a combined total of ten league goals in his last three seasons at Atletico
However, a falling out with former Blues boss Antonio Conte meant that Costa was made surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge just months after scoring 20 league goals in their title-winning season under the Italian coach.
The Spanish international was moved on to Atletico Madrid, who he joined from in 2014, but he has only scored ten league goals since reuniting with Simeone in the Spanish capital.
He ended the 2019-20 campaign with just five LaLiga goals in 23 appearances, the same number of top-flight goals he achieved in the two previous seasons combined.