Keeping Chelsea’s attack is an all or nothing affair
There’s been a lot written about the possible summer changes coming to Chelsea. In particular, Eden Hazard has been the subject of intense transfer links with Real Madrid. In a curious plot twist, Diego Costa’s future now sees tied to his Belgian teammate’s decision of whether or not to leave the Blues this summer.
The enigmatic striker confirmed as much on his own yesterday. He spoke of an almost telepathic link between the two. Costa even referred to playing with Hazard as “something beautiful.” Chelsea fans would agree with that, but it isn’t the adjective most fans would choose to describe anything related to Diego Costa.
Nonetheless, you can’t deny it’s been an effective partnership between the two. They may not be the attacking pair Antonio Conte dreams of, but they’ve powered him to the top of the Premier League. That’s precisely why both have been the subject of such intense transfer speculation.
For Hazard, it’s been a possible move to Madrid. The potential destination for Costa isn’t nearly so prestigious. There’s an outside chance he could return to Atletico, but it’s far more likely he’d be moving to the football wilderness of China. I suppose as long as he doesn’t get caught with any Japanese porn stars (sorry Paulinho) he could do quite well there.
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In the end, if Hazard does opt for greener pastures, expect Conte to thoroughly change over his attack. As I mentioned earlier, Costa has been effective, but he isn’t Conte’s ideal striker. The former Italy boss would much prefer to sign someone like Alvaro Morata or even Alexis Sanchez this summer.
The only real reason to stick with Costa is the symbiotic nature of his relationship with Hazard. You may not like the way Costa plays, but he does provide excellent results when he’s on the pitch with the Belgian winger. It’s very questionable as to whether or not his performance would drop off without Hazard on the pitch.
In the end, that means that Chelsea fans should expect to either keep both Costa and Hazard, or none of them this summer. Contrary to popular belief, neither is a death sentence for the Blues. Conte has the managerial chops and the financial muscle to secure a top pair of replacements. That might seem odd given Chelsea’s success this season, but it doesn’t make it less true.
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Diego Costa and Eden Hazard are Chelsea’s odd couple this season. Time will tell if their bond can keep both at Stamford Bridge this summer.