It's pretty safe to say that unless you're a Chelsea fan, you probably hate Diego Costa. His mastery of the dark arts of football tends to rub a lot of people the wrong way. He is the pantomime villain of the Premier League, the Loki of the world's game, the Iago to the Othello that is the Premier League referee.
Photo: @SKySportsMNF | Twitter
Well, if the Telegraph is to be believed, Premier League defenders may be able to breathe a sigh of relief as Costa may be on his way out. It seems to be that Costa desires a return to Atletico Madrid, but they may not have the money to buy him back, and Chelsea may not be willing to undersell him. For that reason, China appears to be a real option for Costa. As many as three Chinese clubs are said to be interested in the controversial striker, and are said to be offering big money to make it happen.
Chelsea would be more willing to sell to China because it could facilitate the purchase of Napoli's Gonzalo Higuain, whose form this season in Serie A means it would take an almighty sum to drag him away. Chinese clubs have shown no fear in paying large amounts of money for players, as they proved in the last transfer window with the likes of Jackson Martinez, Ramires and Alex Teixeira heading to the Chinese Super League.
Costa could follow former Chelsea teammate Ramires to China. Photo: @SquawkaNews | Twitter
Costa has largely underperformed this season, and with Antonio Conte coming in over the summer, his attitude may clash with the infamous disciplinarian. Former Chelsea teammate Ramires already made the move to Jiangsu Suning, and Costa, who is Brazilian-born, may find it fruitful to join his compatriots. Chelsea, for their part, have denied that Diego Costa is for sale, but how many times have we heard that before?
We can't help but think this is a win-win. Frankly, Costa is a big, lumbering liability for Chelsea. When he uses his aggression in the right way, he's great, but that is becoming more and more rare. Chelsea are desperately short in the goal scorer department, and Costa looks unsettled in England. We think it's the best move for everyone involved.
Chelsea fans may miss him, but if Diego Costa were shipped to China, it's hard to imagine too many people would shed a tear.
Follow me on Twitter @J_Hansen_89