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Diego Costa: ‘I rejected Liverpool for Chelsea’

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Spain striker Diego Costa has revealed that he snubbed Liverpool to join Chelsea over a year ago.

The 26-year-old joined the Premier League champions last summer from Spanish giants Atletico Madrid in a transfer worth £32million.

Costa, who is currently sidelined due to a hamstring injury, was influential for the Blues last campaign – scoring 21 goals in 34 appearances in his Premier League debut season.

However, the 26-year-old could have been playing for rivals Liverpool.

In an extract from Fran Guillen’s book Diego Costa: The Art of War, it was confirmed that the Reds, who have recently signed Aston Villa frontman Christian Benteke, submitted a £20million transfer bid for the Brazilian born target man.

The Merseysiders’ move for the striker was cancelled out by Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, who promised the former Atletico Madrid star more money if he delayed his plans to leave the Vicente Calderon in 2013.

In the extract of the book, it says: “Diego Costa was granted Spanish nationality in the summer of 2013 and on July 5 the striker presented himself at the Civil Registry in Madrid to swear allegiance to the Spanish constitution. Now, at last, Atlético had one more space for a non-EU player.

“This was great news for the club but Costa’s new status also made him an attractive proposition for any club shopping for a striker in the summer transfer market,” the extract read.

“Liverpool were quickest off the mark, offering €25m for the Brazilian and triggering the release clause in his contract. However, Jose Mourinho, recently returned to Chelsea, had also identified Costa as a primary target, a Didier Drogba-style centre-forward around whom he could forge a new winning machine.

“The Portuguese coach had watched Costa since he first arrived at Braga, and had felt the force of the striker during his breakout season close-up as manager of Real Madrid.”

At that time, Mourinho hadn’t yet persuaded Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to bolster his side. In both recruiting new players and moving others on, the process would be slow and steady. As an example, Benfica midfielder Nemanja Matic, another wanted star by the gaffer, needed to wait until January 2014.

“If Costa could not be signed now, a strategy was needed to ensure he was delayed, and not diverted. Chelsea and Mourinho made their case to Costa and Atlético: turn down Liverpool now and we will sign you – for more money – in 12 months. Samuel Eto’o was the stop-gap acquisition.

“Behind the scenes, Costa was lined up for summer 2014, in negotiations aimed at making all parties happy for the season ahead. On August 14, the club renewed Costa’s contract, doubling his salary and extending until June 2018. The release clause also went up, and the understanding was that the new season would be Costa’s last for Los Colchoneros.” Guillen wrote.

By Drew Darbyshire (@DarbySports)

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