Diego Costa

[tiger666]

who is this attainable world beater u think is gonna come here to play backup striker? serious question

Llorente did a job. He missed some sitters sure but he banged in a few and was great in hold up play. Guy doesn’t get a fair shake around here

We don't need a world beater, Llorente was useless. We need a striker that can score goals. Someone like Wilson would be far better.

 

[Neon_Knight_]

What is the ideal realistic back up striker goal scoring rate? Llorente had a decently successful season in his last year with us offering something different, and didn't score much. 1 in 4? 1 in 3? When you start getting a goal every other game you're looking into a top level striker that should be starting in the squad.

Some goalscorers really struggle to find form if they aren't starting regularly (e.g. might dip from 1 in 2 to only 1 in 5), while other strikers score at a similar amount irrespective of playing regularity (e.g. Defoe, Solskjaer, Hernandez). Costa's stats for Atletico suggest that he falls under the former bracket, so in terms of goal return he would not be an ideal back-up for us.

Under Jol, we had a season where Keane, Berbatov and Defoe scored over 60 goals between them, in all competitions. Keane & Berbatov (the starting pair) both scored 1 in 2. Defoe scored 1 in 3 in the league, as our back-up, and more than 1 in 2 in the domestic cups + Europa League. We finished 5th two seasons in a row. We were a smaller club back then, which had never qualified for the CL, so I don't think we should be settling for inferior attacking options now.

However, I do think our current desperation for goals from a back-up striker is partly due to a down-turn in goal-scoring from our attacking midfield players. Alli and Eriksen contributed a lot of goals when we finished 2nd & 3rd in the league, but we've been missing that for a couple of years. If Mourinho can get Alli back to his goal-scoring best, and Lo Celso, Moura & Bergwijn make a healthy contribution, perhaps we just need a back-up no.9 who can create space, hold-up the ball, win aerial duels, bring others into the game etc. - with the players around them doing most of the goal-scoring.

2016-2018: Kane scored nearly 1 in 1, Son scored 1 in 2.5 (their partnership scored 30% more than Berbatov + Keane). Alli often played as a second striker and scored 1 in 3 (matched Defoe's return). Eriksen also scored 1 in 3 / 1 in 4. We finished 2nd & 3rd.
2018-2020: Kane scored 1 in 1.5, Son scored 1 in 2.5 (their partnership equalled Berbatov + Keane, with Kane playing & scoring less due to injuries). Alli played deeper and his goal return halved to 1 in 4 / 1 in 5 and Eriksen dipped to 1 in 6 (less than Defoe combined). We finished 4th & 6th.

 

[wizgell]

I wish we’d stop calling it a ‘back-up striker’ how about a decent striker who competes with Kane and can play with Kane if needed? We could have up to 60 games this year if we sign a striker they will be almost guaranteed about 30 apps minimum! Let’s start acting like a top club again.

we’ve had 4 top strikers On our books in the past :
Kanoute mido Keane defoe
Crouch Pav Defoe Keane

We can easily have Kane and a 2nd top level striker. We could do worse than costa. If we could make it work financially selling Ndombele etc I’d love someone of Ings level but I’d take costa or Calum Wilson Given our budget restrictions

Spot on here. I've been rinsed for suggesting this 'back up striker' mindset is our undoing. Imagine City signing Jesus and telling him 'You're class and that but Aguero is top dog so don't even bother trying to push him, just sit on the bench yeah?'

Kane can't be relied on to complete a full season whilst he is our only 'top striker', I think we would see him reach yet another level with a striker who can not only give him a break but also provide some competition.

 

[DaleMurphy]

Wilson, Costa, Suarez, whoever they all get shit on here for not being good enough or too old or too young or not PL proven or injury plagued or something. Who do u think we’re gonna get?

it is what it is. call it what u want but yeah they’re backup strikers. No one is going to compete with Kane, that’s just silly. You’re talking about one of the best strikers in the world. And he has been touted by JMo as one of the best trainers he doesn’t need anyone to push him.

 

[isaac94]

Was thinking about this earlier but wasn’t sure where to put this...

Costa, Suarez, Cavani, and Higuain all available (not saying affordable, just available). Of those four (not other potential targets, just those four) who would be your preference?

mandzukic another big name available for free

 

[isaac94]

1. Suarez 2. Cavani 3. Costa 4. Higuain

I would pick same order, but also would be happy with any of them coming in

 

[nav007_2000]

Costa on a free would be perfect for us. We wont get Suarez. Juventus want him.

Imagine letting Costa loose on Arsenal. They would brick it.

 

[isaac94]

We don't need a world beater, Llorente was useless. We need a striker that can score goals. Someone like Wilson would be far better.

Wilson has reached double figures once in the PL, he scored 7 last season...

 

[DiVaio]

Atletico Madrid offer Costa to clubs in England, Italy and France but find no takers | Goal.com

Atletico Madrid have offered Diego Costa to a number of clubs, with teams in England, Italy, France and Turkey given the chance to snap up the fiery frontman

www.goal.com

His agent is working with Atletico to find a taker, but no formal interest has been found yet. That is despite teams in the Premier League, Serie A and Ligue 1 being approached, with possible routes to Turkey and Brazil also explored.

 

[George94]

I'd take him instead of signing nobody again, but surely he's gotta be pretty low on our list of targets.

Would much rather Suarez who actually still looks a decent player, if that were possible.

 

[TEESSIDE1]

Spot on here. I've been rinsed for suggesting this 'back up striker' mindset is our undoing. Imagine City signing Jesus and telling him 'You're class and that but Aguero is top dog so don't even bother trying to push him, just sit on the bench yeah?'

Kane can't be relied on to complete a full season whilst he is our only 'top striker', I think we would see him reach yet another level with a striker who can not only give him a break but also provide some competition.

especially when we’re chasing a goal or need to mix it up. At the moment teams know we’ve only got 1 actual striker and we lack dynamism in our attacking play. We’re easy to defend against.

 

[Ionman34]

My initial thought was with VAR what's the point. However, the prem refs could see him punch someone and still not send him off.

Mate, we're Spurs...

Refs would send him off if they felt he was contemplating chinning someone.

 

[sausage]

Wilson, Costa, Suarez, whoever they all get shit on here for not being good enough or too old or too young or not PL proven or injury plagued or something. Who do u think we’re gonna get?

it is what it is. call it what u want but yeah they’re backup strikers. No one is going to compete with Kane, that’s just silly. You’re talking about one of the best strikers in the world. And he has been touted by JMo as one of the best trainers he doesn’t need anyone to push him.

Not really.

From what I've read:
- Wilson: great, as long as he isn't the same price as a younger player with good potential (e.g. Edourad). £10m yes, £30m no.
- Costa: Expensive and doesn't score any more: Just no.
- Suarez: Expensive and still a great player, but potentially a PITA. Unlikely to happen because of several factors, but he is a racism manbiter so no shocks that people aren't keen - even if we can make a 'Baby Shark' type song for him ("Luis Suarez..nom-nom-nom-ne-nom")

None of the 'too old or too young or not PL proven or injury plagued' have applied.

 

[Essex Spur]

Id take him, Ive said for ages we need to win and for all his faults (still laugh at dembele poking him in the eye) he is a winner who intimidates the opposition

 

[DaleMurphy]

read the Wilson thread his injury issues have def been brought up

long story short an aging player that can do a job is the best we’re gonna do and I think Costa would not be too expensive and has a repoire with JMo whereas Cavani and Suarez would def be too expensive

 

[Trix]

Hmmm considering our issues with home grown quota I'd be very surprised if we went out and spent money on a foreign player, who would want a decent length contract who was at the back end of their career. A loan possibly, but couldn't't see anything other than that.

This is opinion only.

 

[Barmby Army]

Wouldn't have much of a problem with the fact that he played for Chelsea, but I'd have massive concerns over his ability to cut it nowadays. His return to Atletico has been a bit of a disaster, and I imagine his wages would be huge.

 

[keithtighe93]

This back up thing is really starting to annoy me. Why the fuck can't we have 3 or 4 strikers? I remember when we had Crouch, Keane, Defoe & Pavlyuchenko not so long ago, and before that we had Kanoute, Berbatov, Keane & Defoe, Mido too.

Now we can't seem to have two! It's fucking pathetic

 

[glacierSpurs]

This back up thing is really starting to annoy me. Why the fuck can't we have 3 or 4 strikers? I remember when we had Crouch, Keane, Defoe & Pavlyuchenko not so long ago, and before that we had Kanoute, Berbatov, Keane & Defoe, Mido too.

Now we can't seem to have two! It's fucking pathetic

Agree. Seems like a crime to have just another striker sitting on the bench nowadays.

 

[golfspurs]

If we sign Doherty and sold Aurier, I think the HG/ Associated Trained (AT) quota will resolve

Uefa specified 4 AT quota max from 8/25 CT/AT quota

so the AT quota will be Dele, RS, Harts & Doherty
And we have 1 available seat of non HG quota for new Striker