BEVERLY HILLS, December 29, (THEWILL) – The incidents of injuries and depreciation in his typical clinical form, has meant that Spanish striker Diego Costa went down the pecking order in striking options for La Liga leaders Atletico Madrid
His situation was exacerbated by the scoring regularity of Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez, who arrived in the Madrid capital from Catalonian club Barcelona. Added to this was the grace and guile, poise and potency of Portuguese forward Joao Felix, whose flashes of brilliance have showcased talents that have contributed to keeping Atleti at the summit of the standings.
All these together seemed to have become more than Costa could stomach moving him to become a free agent on Tuesday as he asked the club to terminate his contract for “personal reasons”. This comes a whole half year before his deal was due to expire at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano. Atletico Madrid cancelled his contract with immediate effect.
The striker had left Atletico Madrid previously for a stint in the English Premier League with Chelsea between 2014 and 2017 where he found the back of the net 57 times in 89 appearances before he returned to Madrid. He had been unhappy at Atleti for some time, and was always likely to leave the club at the end of the season.
Part of the club statement about the 32-year-old’s release from his contract said they had reached an “Agreement with @diegocosta for the termination of his contract. The club wishes the striker the best of luck in the next stage of his professional career.”
Costa signed his release from his current deal on Tuesday. The former Spain international had made just seven league appearances for Diego Simeone’s side this season, scoring twice. Stories abound of some English clubs seeking to acquire his services including beleaguered North London side Arsenal but it is as yet unclear where he will head to next.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
