Diego Costa ‘to have Atletico Madrid medical in next few hours’ after £57m deal agreed with Chelsea
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DIEGO COSTA is set to have a medical at Atletico Madrid "in the next few hours" ahead of a loan return to the club - but he can't play until January.
According to reports, the Spanish club will pay a total package of £57million for the striker - but that total includes add-ons and he will be unveiled in the next few days.
Costa could even be shown off on Wednesday as Atletico Madrid welcome Chelsea to their new stadium.
Atleti manager Diego Simeone managed Costa between 2011 and 2014 and turned him into a goalscoring machine at the Calderon.
Now the club have a new lease of life inside their freshly-built stadium, the Wanda Metropolitano.
According to AS, the 28-year-old is set for a medical examination today and will be whipped into shape by Simeone.
Costa would be eligible to join Atletico as of January as the club are currently in the middle of a transfer ban.
The suspension kept star forward Antoine Griezmann at the club over the summer, with the Frenchman not wanting to leave for Manchester United without them being able to replace him.
Costa has been on exile from Stamford Bridge since the Blues won last season's Premier League title.
CHELSEA TRANSFER NEWS
Relations between Costa and Conte soured after the Italian sent him a text message telling the striker he has no future at the club.
He was told NOT to report back for pre-season training and has not been in action on the football pitch since, with the season now seven games in.
Atletico have made a typically dogged start to the season - with the club in third place on 11 points behind Barcelona, who have made a perfect start, and Sevilla.