Is Diego Costa the Signing of the Summer?

Jose Mourinho and Chelsea will not lament the departure of Fernando Torres to AC Milan with the likes of Diego Costa arriving this summer. Today’s Everton-Chelsea goal fest saw an eventual scoreline of 3-6, with yet another two goals supplied by the 25-year-old Spanish international. Arriving back in July for a sum of £32 million, Costa commands a £150,000 a week salary but is already paying back the Blues in spades.

In his Chelsea league début against Burnley, Costa netted once, and again against Leicester City in his Stamford Bridge début. In today’s Everton match, Costa found the net twice, meaning his tally is at four at the moment, in a total of 260 minutes played. Costa leads the league at the moment, and is on pace to win the Premier League Golden Boot if injuries don’t sideline the forward for a significant amount of time.

PHOTO: Jon Super – Associated Press

Of course it is very early to predict such grand achievements but Costa has hit the ground running and is connecting well with his teammates, in particular with compatriot and fellow summer signing Cesc Fabregas.

The midfielder also arrived from La Liga this summer, for a fee of £30 million and has also been a fantastic boost for Chelsea with his technical flair and playmaking ability. Between Fabregas and Costa, Chelsea’s attack has been given renewed vigor and the ability to truly finish teams off, something that was lacking last season.

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If rumors are to be believed, Costa may have nagging injuries that may resurface later in the year when the intensity of English football takes its toll. There is also the issue of his aggressive nature which has already resulted in two yellow cards in three matches. Costa’s intensity and dogged performances are definitely a plus, but can spill over into personal squabbles with players on the pitch. If Costa isn’t careful to control his temper, he may miss a good deal of playing time due to match suspensions.

Its easy to ignore the negatives, however, with Costa scoring so prolifically and with apparent ease. It took Fernando Torres 39 matches to get to the same number of goals Costa currently has, which speaks volumes about the refreshing change in Chelsea’s attack. The fans have taken to the signing wholeheartedly, and in comparison with some of the other big name signings around the league, Costa has definitely outshone them all so far.

For example, Arsenal’s £35 million signing Alexis Sanchez has yet to find the back of the net in the league. Everton’s £28 million man Romelu Lukaku is in the same boat as Sanchez. Liverpool’s Dejan Lovren has been a solid addition, as has Manchester United’s Luke Shaw, but these players do not provide the same instant impact as Costa.

By all accounts, Chelsea have won the offseason in England with the additions of Fabregas and Costa.

If the Spanish duo continues on their current run of form, Mourinho’s “little horse,” may just be in full gallop to the Premiership title this season.

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