West Ham are “exploring” the possibility of making a move for Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa, according to the Mirror.
The 30-year-old is understood to be on his way out of the Spanish capital after a breakdown in his relationship with the club, and it is understood that the Hammers view him as a potential solution to their striking conundrum.
The Spanish international hit 52 Premier League goals in 89 appearances for Chelsea during a three year spell in England that came to an end in 2017 when he went on strike to force through a move to Atletico.
OPINION
Costa is still a top quality striker. He may have only hit two goals in 14 La Liga starts last term, but good players don’t become bad players overnight, and there is no doubting that he still has the talent to mix it at the top table. At last season’s World Cup, for example, he averaged 2.5 shots per game and a pass completion rate of 82.1% across the competition [Whoscored]. You get the impression with Costa that his issue is not whether to not he can play, but rather, whether or not he can be bothered too. For whatever reason, things have gone south in Madrid, but given the opportunity to reinvent himself in a side tailored to get the best out of his abilities, the 30-year-old could still have a lot to offer. It would be an unorthodox signing, but West Ham could do an awful lot worse.
