Three Wonderful Replacements Who Chelsea Can Consider If Diego Costa Leaves In The Summer
If reports from The Sun are to be believed, Diego Costa is set to leave Chelsea in the summer to join Chinese Super League outfit Tianjin Quanjian. The Spanish striker was spotted dining with the club officials and is set to sign a £25-million-a-year deal.
The 28-year old has been heavily linked with a move to the cash-rich CSL in the winter window which has led to a row between him and the Blues’ manager. And now it looks like Costa will surely be leaving at the end of the season.
Costa has been one of the stars for Chelsea this campaign that sees them sit on top of the Premier League table. The Brazil-born Spanish international has scored 20 goals in the league this term and has been an integral part of the squad that looks set to seal the league title and stands a chance to win the FA Cup as well.
However, with Costa set to leave in the summer, Conte will need to replace him in the squad as his team will be competing in the UEFA Champions League next season. So, to that end, here are three replacements for Costa who Chelsea should look to sign in the transfer window:
Romelu Lukaku
The former Chelsea man is all set to leave Everton in the summer as he has refused to sign a new contract extension on his existing deal that will expire in a year from now. Chelsea is tipped to be the most likely destination for Lukaku.
Since leaving Chelsea for Everton, the Belgian international has developed into one of the most explosive forwards in the Premier League. Lukaku is having his best season with the Toffees in the ongoing campaign. The 23-year old has scored 24 goals from 34 league games this season and is the frontrunner for the Golden Boot award.
There have been recent speculations about his return to the Stamford Bridge and there are no doubts that he will be an excellent addition to Conte’s squad. Lukaku might feel that he has unfinished business with the Blues, having never really got an opportunity to shine and could be tempted to join them again.
Alvaro Morata
The Spaniard has found it tough to break into the Real Madrid first team upon his summer return from Juventus, despite having done brilliantly in the chances that he has deserved.
Morata has outscored his teammate and first-choice striker Karim Benzema this season, despite having featured much lesser than the Frenchman. But manager Zinedine Zidane continues to overlook him, which has led to growing frustrations for the player. The 24-year old has scored 18 times across all competitions this season, from 38 games – only 17 of those games have been from the start.
Conte has worked with Morata during his tenure at Juventus and played a key role in developing the striker into the player that he is today. A reunion would be definitely appealing for both the parties in the summer.
Andrea Belotti
The Torino forward has been one of the most sought after players with clubs like Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, all looking at him as a potential target for the transfer window.
Belotti, this season, has scored 27 goals from 34 games for the Italian side across all competitions. The 23-year old is the leading goal-scorer in the Serie A with 25 strikes to his name, despite his team languishing in the mid-table. Strong in the air, an excellent finisher and a willing contributor to the defence, Belotti ticks all the boxes for Conte and Chelsea.
The €100 million release clause in his contract could prove to be a dampener, but if Chelsea manage to convince Torino to sell him for a lesser price, they will have one of the most promising strikers in Europe at their disposal.
