The New Year is upon us and it is a time for celebration and reflection, as we head into 2014 with renewed optimism.
In footballing terms though, the turn of the year means a frantic scrap where Premier League managers go shopping for players hoping to achieve their goals for the season. The transfer window reopens in January 1, and all sorts of rumors have been flying around in the media outlets recently.
Reports linking Premier League leaders Arsenal with Atletico Madrid’s Diego Costa is one those rumors that has caught the eye.
It is yet to be confirmed or denied whether the Gunners will make an approach for Diego Costa, but we have decided to embrace the transfer story and weigh up the potential chances of the striker actually putting on an Arsenal jersey come January.
How would Costa fit in at Arsenal?
Despite their fantastic start to the season, many believe that the Gunners could end up short in their bid to win the Premier League title, due to their lack of sufficient backup for Olivier Giroud in attack. This would explain why there are rumors implying that Arsenal is interested in acquiring Diego Costa.
In a league that has been dominated by two names, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, it is fair to say that Diego Costa has been stealing the headlines this season with some stellar performances for Atletico Madrid. The Brazilian turned Spanish International has magnificently filled the void left by Radamel Falcao after the Colombian’s departure from the Vicente Calderon and has scored a remarkable 19 goals from 17 matches.
Considering the monopoly enjoyed by Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga, it is admirable that Atletico Madrid have been able to match leaders Barca neck, and neck and arguably the most integral part of Diego Simeone’s side this season has been Diego Costa.
Big, strong and a ruthless finisher, Costa looks perfect to play in the physical nature of the English Premier League. At the moment, Costa can command a first team spot at any team in the world and if he were to arrive at Arsenal, the 25-year old would certainly be a great fit.
Arsenal deploy a system of one up top and there is arguably no one better than Diego Costa in that role. The striker brings other people into play and would help the likes of Mesut Ozil and Aaron Ramsey flourish even more. Admittedly, Olivier Giroud has been doing a fantastic job for the Gunners at the moment but Costa would certainly be an upgrade to the Frenchman.
Chances of Costa joining Arsenal?
Although Costa and Arsenal look like a match made in heaven, Atletico would not be too keen on parting with their prized asset. With Madrid going strong both domestically and in Europe, it would be surprising to see the Spanish side accept an offer for the striker.
Even if Arsenal were somehow able to tempt Atletico to sell Costa for an astronomical fee, it remains to be seen whether the striker would want to leave his current side.
Although the Gunners are a bigger team than Atletico, Costa would most likely not be willing to put his place in the Spanish National team in jeopardy for the upcoming World Cup by leaving a club where he is settled, and moving to another country where players do tend to struggle to adapt initially after arriving.
Arsenal would also be a bit unwise to pay over the odds for Costa in the middle of the season, considering he would be cup tied for the Champions League.
Conclusion – Will Costa join Arsenal in January?
Although Diego Costa would certainly flourish at Arsenal, it seems highly unlikely that the 25-year old would be joining the Gunners, in the upcoming transfer window at least.
