Atletico Madrid sporting director Andrea Berta has said the club should be able to keep Chelsea target Diego Costa for at least another year amid growing interest.
With Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho adamant the London club will not be adding to their forward line during the January transfer window the Blues could move for 25-year-old in the summer.
Due to Atletico’s perilous financial situation, the club have witnessed some of their best players exit in recent years, with the likes of Sergio Aguero and David de Gea both leaving for the Premier League.
A further exodus of their prized assets could follow but Berta insists Costa will remain at the Vicente Calderón Stadium with Atletico competing for the Spanish league title and in the Champions League knock-out stages.
Berta told Italian channel Tele Radio Stereo: "Atletico is a club which, due to its nature, must sell every year. [But] we believe we can have our players at least one year more.”
Costa, who this week picked up the La Liga Player of the Month award for December has scored 23 goals in 22 appearances for Atletico this season – the kind of form Mourinho would sure be in awe of given Chelsea's under-par attacking options.
Fernando Torres, Demba Ba and Samuel Eto'o have tallied a combined 15 goals in all competitions this season which have led calls for the signing of a new striker. It also remains to be seen whether Romelu Lukaku, who is on a season-long loan to Everton, will be part of Mourinho’s plans for next season.
Costa expects to play for Spain, having switched his allegiance from his native Brazil under FIFA dual nationality regulations.
