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Following a bout of second season syndrome with Chelsea last season, Diego Costa’s future was questioned quite a few times towards the end of the campaign, with many linking him with a return to Atlético Madrid.

Well, AS on Friday spark the rumours back to life, with the Spanish newspaper claiming the Brazilian Spanish goalscorer has been declared a ‘priority’ by Diego Simeone for his 2016-17 plans at the Champions League finalists.

Manager and directors held a meeting in Buenos Aires earlier this week, and one of the most important notes on the agenda was the return of Diego Costa.

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Perfectly adapted to Atlético’s style of play, having played under Simeone prior to his move to Chelsea, the club are trying to avoid repeats of Jackson Martniez, who struggled following his move from Porto.

Those in charge know the mission will be complicated, with the deal taking the majority of the summer to complete, especially since Chelsea are not prepared to open negotiations with anyone regarding Costa until they have signed two other forwards.

To get this done, the Spanish club will also need to rebuild their relationship with the Premier League side, as, following a few failed deals and bold decisions from Atlético in the past, things are currently a bit tense.

This certainly seems like a long shot from the Spanish club, and a lot will rest on whether Antonio Conte considers Costa capable of fitting in his plans or not.