The Brazilian is believed to have his heart set on a return to the Spanish capital after being told that he is not in Antonio Conte’s plans this season.
However, with the transfer window set to slam shut on Thursday, the Spain international is running out of time to seal a return to his former stopmping ground.
In an interview with ‘Sportsmail’ last month, Costa said that he felt like head had been treaten like a ‘criminal’ at Chelsea and suggested that he would be willing to see out the final year of his contract with the ‘blues’ unpaid.
Despite these claims, Atletico’s players are hopeful that the 28-year-old will not have to do so and that he will indeed make the move to the Wanda Metropolitano this summer.
Atletico Madrid midfielder Koke told ‘Cadena Ser’: ‘We all want Diego Costa to come, but the situation is complicated.
‘If Diego comes, he will help us and he already knows a lot of us at the club so for us it would be very exciting.’
It is clear that Atletico want to sign the Brazil-born hitman this summer but judging by their performance against Las Palmas at the weekend when they plundered five goals, perhaps a striker isn’t top of their agenda.
