Proposed Chelsea-Atletico Madrid swap deal makes solid sense

A Chelsea-Atletico Madrid swap deal involving Diego Costa and Antoine Griezmann would make sense for both clubs

Chelsea and Atletico Madrid might be able to complete the transfer season equivalent of spotting an albino unicorn. The two could actually agree to a player swap that would strengthen both clubs.

Soccerlens reports that Atletico manager Diego Simeone has come around to the idea of letting Antoine Griezmann move to Stamford Bridge on the condition that Diego Costa returns to the Spanish capital in return. This type of player swap would allow Chelsea to get rid of one of their biggest headaches, while Atletico could solve their issues at striker. It’s a transaction that almost makes too much sense not to happen.

For Chelsea, this is a home run of a deal. Trading Costa for Griezmann might even allow the Blues to get rid of their two most prominent problem children. Costa would obviously be headed to La Liga, while the acquisition of Griezmann would allow Chelsea to sell Eden Hazard as well. That prospect of getting rid of two potential problem players should be very attractive to Antonio Conte as he takes over at Stamford Bridge.

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From Atletico’s perspective, the deal isn’t quite as attractive, but still makes good sense. Simeone’s club has a huge hole at striker and the talented manager knows just how to get the best out of Diego Costa. It’s not an exaggeration to say that Costa’s value to Atletico is superior to his value to any other club in the world. He would represent a massive upgrade over Fernando Torres at the top of the Atletico attack.

Holding on to Griezmann this summer is also a nearly impossible task for Atletico. His play has been so good this season that he will attract big-dollar interest from all over the globe. Engineering this sort of swap deal would allow Atletico to maximize their return for the exceptionally talented Frenchman.

The only issue I have with this deal is that Atletico should be asking for a little more. In a vacuum, Griezmann would certainly command a higher price on the open market than Costa. It would not be at all unreasonable for Simeone to ask for Chelsea to include a significant sum of money, or perhaps another player to make the deal more equitable.

Chelsea would likely capitulate to such a demand for a couple of reasons. First, Atletico has all of the leverage in the world here. They can walk away from this move and sell Griezmann to the highest bidder with ease. They could then take those funds and purchase another striker of their choosing.

The Blues also need this deal to happen because Griezmann is one of the few players in the world to adequately replace an in-form Eden Hazard. That type of special talent isn’t as readily available on the transfer market as a proven striker. Chelsea need to replace Hazard with a player they can tell their fan base has the potential to be a superstar. Griezmann would give the club that opportunity.

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Agreeing to a transfer swap with two high-profile clubs like Chelsea and Atletico Madrid is never as easy as it seems. The good news for both, is that a swap deal involving Griezmann and Costa provides the framework of a very good enticing deal for all involved.