How selling Costa to Atletico helped Chelsea reach a Champions League final
While Chelsea are used to big transfers coming and going from Stamford Bridge none would prove to be as dramatic as Diego Costa’s departure from the club in 2018.
Following a falling out with manager Antonio Conte six months prior, Costa was informed by the Chelsea manager via a text message that he wouldn’t be part of the team’s plans in the forthcoming 2017/18 season.
How did Costa’s move work out for Chelsea?
Initially it seems as though Chelsea did their very best to repeat the mistake they had just made in signing Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid for around €60m.
However, while the Spaniard struggled just as much as Costa, this transfer in question ended up opening the door for a number of new strikers to stake a claim for the No.9 position.
Intriguingly, the season after Costa left the club saw Eden Hazard step in as the main goal threat, as the Belgian international forged a smart partnership with target man Olivier Giroud and winger Pedro.
The following season saw Hazard depart for Madrid and in his place came young striker Tammy Abraham, with 18 goals in all competitions. At the end of the season Chelsea then signed two new forwards in Kai Havertz and Timo Werner for a combined €130m.
While Chelsea fans may argue that their team are in a much better state now, there’s no denying that the Stamford Bridge side have spent a huge amount of money on numerous players in their attempts to replace Costa.