After last season, when Chelsea strikers failed to produce much of ... well, anything, really, José Mourinho must have been thrilled to secure the signing of Diego Costa. The 25-year-old scored 27 goals in 35 La Liga appearances for Atlético Madrid last season, and added an additional eight as Atléti made their way to the final.
But Costa picked up an injury last May, reducing him to a mere 15 minutes of play against Barcelona in Atlético’s title-deciding match. He then managed just nine minutes against rivals Real Madrid in the Champions League final. Costa still went to Brazil for the World Cup, but with Spain’s system not designed to make the best use out of the striker, it was tough to see just how well he’d recovered.
The Chelsea manager has no worries, however. Mourinho told Sky Sports:He’s a great addition for us. “He is a fantastic player. Technically he is very, very good. That’s why lots of the players are so happy and so surprised, because his quality is even higher than what they expect.
He’s so strong physically and gives so much effort during matches. He’s a great addition for us. He’s a fantastic player. When somebody sees him play the first thing that gets into their eyes is exactly that, the capacity to work hard for the team.
Mourinho is also excited by another summer signing, Cesc Fàbregas, about whom he said, “I see him as somebody who thinks football faster than the majority of the players. He is the kind of player we need in our midfield to bring us to a different dimension.”
Thoughts, Chelsea fans? Excited about these new additions to the Blues?