Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho comments on Diego Costa

Diego Costa

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has ended his silence on the club’s reported top transfer target Diego Costa, commenting on the forward in quotes attributed to him by Spanish newspaper AS. However don’t get too excited Chelsea fans, his comments merely suggest that the Atletico Madrid striker should have a good World Cup and a nice holiday.

The Chelsea boss insisted that he does not know where Costa, named in Spain’s World Cup squad, will be playing his football next season, despite heavy speculation linking him with a move to Stamford Bridge.

Costa scored 27 league goals last season to help Atletico to the La Liga title, while he also contributed eight goals in his nine Champions League appearances. The last of those, the final defeat to city rivals Real, was cut short after just nine minutes as Atletico’s gamble on the fitness of the Brazil-born forward backfired.

Chelsea have long been linked with a move for Costa, in order to replace their current misfiring forward line. Samuel Eto’o was the highest scorer out of Mourinho’s strikers last season with nine, although he has now left, while Fernando Torres and Demba Ba netted just five league goals apiece.

Commenting on Costa, Mourinho said: “I hope you have a World Cup without setbacks, a great holiday and I hope the next is a great season for him.

“I don’t know where but I hope he can have a fantastic season next season.”

As the transfer silly season starts it’s World Cup hiatus, Mourinho’s comments on Costa’s ‘fantastic’ next season could have been a hint of things to come. Or it could have just been Mourinho being nice. Who knows?

Costa scored more goals last season than Ba, Eto’o and Torres combined.