Chelsea legend Pat Nevin has penned a classy tribute to Diego Costa as his transfer return to Atletico Madrid draws ever closer.
The Spain international looks set to leave Stamford Bridge after a protracted transfer saga, with Chelsea confirming last week they’d agreed a deal in principal with Atletico.
The Blues now just need Costa to agree personal terms and pass a medical to finally offload a player who has been out of Antonio Conte’s thinking since as far back as January.
Despite being a popular figure in west London, Costa and Conte fell out in the middle of last season, with Alvaro Morata arriving from Real Madrid as his replacement this summer.
Still, while Nevin is a big fan of Morata, he also admits he’ll miss what Costa brought to the side, and told rival fans that, despite the hate, they’d loved to have had him in their sides.
‘Diego can’t be ignored because of the effect he had on the team and the club in his time here,’ the Scot wrote on Chelsea’s official site.
‘Like many, I adored his combative style at least as much as his skill and his goals.
‘The temperament may have been tempestuous but there was never a dull moment when he was around. That can of course have its positive and negative ramifications.
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‘He will be fondly remembered as one of a kind, a dying breed of warrior striker who home fans adored and opponents loved to hate, even though they knew fine well they would have loved to have him in their own teams.’
Costa came close to leaving Chelsea during the summer before an initial deal with Atletico fell through, but he has not linked up with Conte’s squad this season in a bid to force a move away from the club.
The 28-year-old has long made it clear that returning to Madrid was his priority, despite summer links with the likes of AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain.
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