‘Chelsea must replace Diego Costa this summer’ says former Blues star

‘Chelsea must replace Diego Costa this summer’ says former Blues star

Chelsea must do their best to vill the void left by Diego Costa this summer, says former Blue Frank Sinclair.

Costa left Chelsea last summer to rejoin former side Atletico Madrid, with whom he joined forces in January after the Spanish side’s transfer ban had ended.

The Spaniard scored 59 times in three seasons for Chelsea between 2014-2017, helping them lift two Premier League titles, and has been a huge loss for the Blues since his return to Spain.

Countryman Alvaro Morata was signed as his replacement last summer for a club record fee of £60 million, however has failed to make his mark in South West London – scoring just 11 times in the Premier League.

Chelsea also signed Olivier Giroud from Arsenal in January, who has been a much welcomed addition to Antonio Conte’s frontline, however Sinclair still feels his former club are yet to properly replace Costa, and must do so this summer.

“They will need another striker,” Sinclair told Sporting Bet when asked about Chelsea’s summer transfer plans.

“[Alvaro] Morata started well but struggled as he went on, whilst [Olivier] Giroud took his place and played well, but they haven’t replaced [Diego] Costa since he left.

“The new manager may not see either Morata or Giroud as players who fit the role they want up front, but I definitely think that this is a position that needs to be addressed.”

Costa, who has scored seven times for Atletico since returning in January, was named in Julen Lopetegui’s Spain squad for this summer’s World Cup in Russia, while Alvaro Morata failed to make the cut.