Last season, Diego Costa could do no wrong at Chelsea FC. Though he only transferred to Stamford Bridge during the summer of 2014, he quickly became a hero at the football club, scoring 20 goals in 26 league fixtures to become the team's top scorer. Along with Eden Hazard, Costa was the driving force behind Chelsea's title victory in the English Premier League, and fans were hoping to see more of the same from the Brazilian-born striker in 2015 2016.
Things haven't really worked out that way.
This season, Costa is still Chelsea's top scorer in the Premier League. The problem is, he's only scored three goals and has often looked sloppy and tired out on the pitch. Such an example of sloppiness led to a feud between Jose Mourinho and Diego Costa during the Blues' November 24th Champions League match against Maccabi Tel Aviv.
Mourinho vs. Costa
Chelsea actually won the Maccabi game, managing a 4-0 victory to keep themselves in the running for Champions League advancement. However, Costa and Mourinho still reportedly got into a heated exchange in the locker room at halftime, with the manager criticizing Costa for not being ready to receive an Eden Hazard pass and convert it into an easy goal. Costa supposedly responded with a few verbal barbs of his own.
The thing is, both Diego and Jose have plenty of fuel to attack the other at this point. Costa's form declined toward the end of the 2014 2015 season, but not enough to hurt Chelsea's commanding lead in the Premier League. This season, he's only continued to decline, and the Blues have borne the brunt of his failures, only taking 15 points from 14 league fixtures.
Mourinho, meanwhile, has been one of the most criticized men in the sport of soccer this fall, blamed by many fans and pundits alike for the failures at Stamford Bridge. Rumors of a sack have been almost consistent all season long, though, so far, it appears that Chelsea's higher-ups are standing behind their manager.
A Transfer for Costa?
If Mourinho evidently won't be on the way out soon, is there a possibility that Diego Costa could transfer away from the football club where he was so recently dubbed a hero? Such a turn of events is certainly possible. Though not usually a club to participate very heavily-if at all-in the January transfer market, it's pretty clear that the Blues will have no choice this season.
So far, the Blues have been said to have interest in signing Robin van Persie, Emmanuel Adebayor, and Saido Berahino-all forwards who could potentially fill Diego's role at the center of Chelsea's offense. Costa would probably also be the best bargaining chip that Mourinho and co. would have to get anyone elite in January. The striker is less than two years into a five-year contract, so if any other football club wants to sign him, this would be the chance. Costa's row with Mourinho last week could only further the manager's desire to send Diego elsewhere.
Costa: Out of the Starting Lineup?
Mourinho, of course, insists that he and Costa made up following the Maccabi match with "a few kisses" and "a few cuddles." But actions speak louder than words, and the embattled manager chose to leave Costa on the bench for Chelsea's November 29th Premier League fixture against Tottenham Hotspur. Hazard played as center forward instead.
It will be compelling to see if Mourinho continues to experiment with different starting lineups in the coming weeks-particularly if they don't include Costa. It's difficult to know from the Tottenham match whether putting Hazard as the center forward and backing him up with Willian, Oscar, and Pedro was a good tactical choice. On one hand, the Blues didn't win the game, settling for a 0-0 draw. On the other hand, they avoided a loss against one of the Premier League's better soccer teams-and kept pace in terms of possession, no less.
What do you think? Do you still want Diego Costa to be wearing the Chelsea jersey 2015/16 come January? Or do you think a transfer for the striker would be the best thing for both parties? Share your thoughts and connect with Soccer Box on one of our social media accounts. Find us on Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr, as well as other popular social platforms.
