Following reports of Diego Costa injuring his hamstring during training, The Guardian have reported that Chelsea have lined up replacements for the injured Costa and the outgoing Fernando Torres.
The severity of Costa’s reported injury is yet to be revealed, with reports claiming he could be out for upto 6 weeks. It’s not the first time Costa has pulled up with the same type of injury this year. The Spanish striker suffered the same injury twice while playing for Atletico Madrid earlier this year, which hints to some worrying signs for Chelsea.
Costa will undergo further tests at Cobham and despite the the news initially seeming grim, there is still hope that the striker will be fit in time to face Everton on Saturday.
As such, Chelsea have already lined up replacements for the#32m man, albeit as a potential backup to the Spaniard.
Respected newspaper, The Guardian, claim that Roma striker Mattia Destro and Monaco superstar Radamel Falcao are the prime candidates to join the Blues in the final few days of the transfer window.
Destro has been heavily linked with Jose Mourinho’s side in recent days while Falcao has been drawn up as a possible option on a season-long loan deal. The Colombian striker looks unlikely to join West London though with Monaco demanding a staggering#20m loan fee for his services. The striker is reported to be wanting a move to Real Madrid too.
The Italian, Destro, has recently been courted by Chelsea and AC Milan according to the player’s agent. The 22-year old is also seen by Jose Mourinho as the ideal man to either play backup, or provide competition for first-choice striker Diego Costa.
With Fernando T0rres edging closer to the exit door, a move for a striker seemed a necessity for the West London club. But Costa’s injury has just further increased Chelsea’s need to bring in a striker before August the 31st. Another name that has been thrown up, is Jackson Martinez, the Porto striker, whom Jose Mourinho is a firm admirer of.
Should Chelsea not bring in any of the above-mentioned targets before the window slams shut, reports say youngster Patrick Bamford could well be stopped from joining a Championship club on loan as he may have to step up to the first team.
The next couple of days will be crucial in Chelsea’s search for a striker. We will have a clearer idea before Saturday’s game against Everton.
