At the request of Diego Costa, Atlético de Madrid terminated the contract of the Spanish-Brazilian striker on Tuesday.
Little used this season by Diego Simeone (7 matches, 2 goals), the 32-year-old was released 6 months from the end of his contract. Competing with Alvaro Morata in the previous year, the former Chelsea player has become a simple understudy since the arrival of Luis Suarez and the explosion of Joao Félix. His third stint with the Colchoneros is therefore over (2007–2009, 2010–2014 and 2018–2020).
A clause at 15 million!
Free of any contract, the Spanish international (24 caps, 10 goals) can not however sign in any club. The leaders of Atléti insisted on including a clause in this termination of contract. Diego Costa will have to pay compensation of 15 million euros if he engages with a competitor in La Liga or the Champions League. He should therefore not strengthen Barça or Sevilla, for example …
The 30-year-old, who peaked at 8 million euros per year in the Spanish capital, could rather pursue his career outside Europe, in MLS or in his native country, Brazil. After playing in a small club in Sao Paulo, Diego Costa landed in Portugal at the age of 18 and revealed himself at Penafiel, where Atlético spotted him, in 2007.
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