Ex-Chelsea striker Diego Costa reaches verbal agreement to join Atletico Mineiro

Daily Times can confirm that Diego Costa and Atletico Mineiro have orally agreed to a one-year contract worth around $3 million.

The midfielder, who left Atletico Madrid in December, is set to arrive in Belo Horizonte in the coming days for medical exams and to sign the contract, which is structured identically to the one Hulk received from Atletico Mineiro.

The departures of Bueno, Gabriel, Diego Tardelli, and Marrony made Costa’s signing financially possible.

While the base contract is only worth $3 million, it is much less than what he had requested, there are potential bonuses connected to success in domestic and continental competitions that might enhance the amount.

Cuca, the head coach of Atletico Mineiro, was a strong supporter of the deal. Though director Rodrigo Caetano was in charge of negotiating with the athlete behind the scenes, he was in favor of the deal from the start and helped ensuring it got to the finish line.

The striker is seen as a reinforcement for the current leader of Brazil’s top-flight, and he will be available to the team as soon as he has registered with the CBF.

Costa hasn’t played since last December, when his Atletico Madrid contract was terminated six months early.

The 32-year-old cited personal reasons for wanting to leave Wanda Metropolitano after being excused from training, having also made it clear that he had no intention of signing an extension.

He received interest from Benfica earlier in 2021, but a deal never came together.

The forward struggled to find the net after his return to Atletico Madrid from Chelsea, netting just 12 times in La Liga across the past four campaigns after scoring 20 times in his final Premier League season.

Atletico Mineiro are now betting that time away from football will have cleared his head and rejuvenated his body.