Why, Why, Why Would Spurs Want to Take Diego Costa This Summer?

Diego Costa. One of football's most infamous...characters.

With the goalscoring record of a top striker, and the chaotic prowess of Heath Ledger's Joker, the Spaniard is one of football's most divisive figures: either reviled for his antics, or lauded for his expertise in the dark arts.

Costa left the Premier League to rejoin Atletico Madrid in 2017 and has struggled to recapture his best form, but he's now being offered a chance to reunite with Jose Mourinho - the man who first brought him into English football. It could work...or they could both be past it. Let's break it down.

What Do Spurs Need?

Simple. The north Londoners have needed a striker to provide cover for Harry Kane for a while – partly because European football and likely deep runs in domestic cups mean that rotation options are vital, but also because Kane's missed more than a dozen games with injury in three of the last four seasons.

Heung-min Son and Lucas Moura have often filled in up front for the Lilywhites, but neither are natural strikers. The acquisition of another striker would mean that Mourinho could avoid having to put a square peg in a round hole.

It would also give him the option of playing with two up top instead of the usual one. This is something that former boss Mauricio Pochettino would sometimes do, with Son lining up alongside Kane.

Is Diego Costa the Right Man?

At 31 years of age, it seems as if the former Chelsea man's best days are behind him. In fact, since returning to Los Rojiblancos, Costa has scored just ten league goals in 54 appearances.

In contrast, his three seasons at Chelsea saw him score 52 in 89, winning two league titles in the process. A goalscoring record like this would be a useful asset to any side.

That's what it may ultimately come down to: does Jose Mourinho believe he get Diego Costa back to his brilliant best? If he does, then it seems like an absolute no-brainer.

And if he can't? Well...it might still be worth a go.

Spurs aren't looking for a striker who guarantees 20+ goals per season - they already have one. What they need is someone who can provide adequate cover for Kane, or possibly play alongside him.

Costa is quite a similar player to Kane in many ways. While they're both able to play as big target men, at their best they're also mobile, able to run with the ball, and good at linking up with this behind them. If Kane was to be sidelined, Mourinho wouldn't have to make wholesale changes to his system to accommodate Costa.

However, their similarities in style could rule out the chance of the two playing together as a partnership.

What Are the Risks?

One concern for the north London club will be the striker's injury record. Since returning to the Wanda Metropolitano, Costa's time has been blighted with injuries, recently missing over three months with a slipped disc. Having one injury-prone striker as back up for another doesn't exactly seem like the greatest idea.

Of course, with a player as temperamental as Costa, you're bound to rack up some suspensions. The 31-year-old has missed a staggering 44 games through suspension in his career – that's four more games than Crystal Palace played in all competitions last season.

The main stumbling block, however, may not be his absences, but his salary. The former Brazilian is reported to be earning about €300k-a-week at the La Liga club - a figure that owner Daniel Levy will not sanction. Costa will have to take a pay cut should any deal be struck.

Would it Be a Good Move for the Player?

That really depends on what Costa is after. If he's looking to play at the highest level possible, then he probably won't get any better offers than from Spurs.

However, if he wants to prove that he still has something to offer as a starting striker, then going to a club where he won't be guaranteed regular minutes would be a disaster.

Another Mourinho Experiment?

The whole situation is reminiscent of the situations that Mourinho involved himself in with Fernando Torres, Samuel Eto'o, and Radamel Falcao.

After his return to Chelsea in 2013, Mourinho put his trust in Torres and Eto'o, two formerly top forwards who were past their best – although in Torres' case, he was only half a season (and, fatally, a knee injury) removed from scoring 18 goals in 22 Premier League games. This was a decision that arguably cost them the league title. The Blues ended up finishing four points off the top, despite having the best defensive record in the league by a distance.

As for Falcao, we all know how it went. After a disastrous loan spell at Manchester United, Mourinho brought the Colombian to Stamford Bridge, where he would go on to score just one goal in 12 appearances in all competitions. Again, a knee injury he hadn't fully recovered from was the issue – as he showed when he hit 70 goals in 118 the next three seasons back at Monaco.

So...Should Spurs Take Him?

Is this proposed transfer destined to fail? No, of course not. If he regains his form, he could be an inspired signing. However, given how below-par he's been over the last three seasons and his history of injuries and suspensions, Spurs' money would be better spent elsewhere.