Atletico Madrid have ended their pursuit of bringing Diego Costa back to the club after the signing of Kevin Gameiro. Earlier, Atletico Madrid signed Gameiro from Sevilla who was paraded in front of their fans at Vicente Calderon on Sunday. As he was unveiled, Gameiro said the club chose to sign him as a striker and left a hint that only he could partner compatriot Antoine Griezmnann up front.
Meanwhile, Diego Costa seems to be unsettled by the rumor mill speculating on his return to Atletico Madrid. The Chelsea striker also has injury worries with a back injury that has seen Antonio Conte leave him out of all the pre-season friendlies until now. However, Costa appears keen to start against AC Milan in the next friendly and win the manager’s trust that will see him stay at Chelsea.
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Gameiro responded to the question on whether Diego Simeone would still consider making an offer for Costa, or has his signing put an end to his chances of returning to the Atletico Madrid, "The most important thing is that I am the one here speaking in front of you. The club chose me and I am going to give them everything I have."
Gameiro said that he hasn’t had a conversation with Simeone in person yet, however, he appeared confident of fulfilling his responsibility and also feels he is an ideal fit for the manager’s requirement "I've yet to speak to him and will meet up with the squad when they return from their trip to Australia. I'm confident that my adaptation process will be quick. He's demonstrated that he wants me in the squad and is aware of what I can offer. I'm quick around the area and will work will with him. We plan to sit down and talk after they return from Australia.”
Read also: Gameiro joins Atletico Madrid on four-year deal
Gameiro further spoke about his admiration of Diego Simeone and expressed his optimism of seeing a great future at the club. Gameiro spoke fondly about his new club and manager, "I like his attitude, he wants to win every game and has a winning mentality which I like a great deal. In my mind, I was set on joining Atletico and confident of good times ahead. I've penned a four-year deal and am optimistic about the future. I'm really looking forward to the season ahead. This is a great club and can't wait for the season ahead challenging for the league title and Champions League and I'd love to win a trophy."
Kevin Gameiro was signed for a reported fee of €32 million with add-ons. At Sevilla, Gameiro scored 67 goals and assisted a further 17 in his three seasons, wherein they also won a hat-trick of UEFA Europa League. Despite his impressive performances, he was left out of the French squad for the EURO 2016.
