Transfer balls: Liverpool and Manchester United targets Diego Costa and Geoffrey Kondogbia reprise the Suarez and Evra show
TRANSFER Balls: How’s the summer shaping up for Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa and Sevilla midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia?
These two are paired because if they head to the Premier League they will renew a relationship that made headlines last season. Sevilla midfielder Geoffrey Kondogbia earned a red card for a foul on Costa. He went on Twitter to claim:
“In short Mr Costa, next time keep the monkey noises to yourself. The first red of my entire life playing football and I get four matches 🙁 ?”
Geoffrey Kondogbia is black. Costa is what are now called “white Hispanic”.
It seems that Liverpool want Costa:
Daily Express (August 2): “LIVERPOOL have tabled a bid of around £22million for Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa as manager Brendan Rodgers seeks to bolster his attacking options.”
Costa, 6ft 2ins, scored 20 goals in 44 appearances for Atletico last season and can also play on the left.
He’s no new Luis Suarez, though. The Express says Costs ia being sought to work with the want-away Uruguayan. The Indy reports:
In last season’s Madrid derby, the 24-year-old Brazilian appeared to be on a vendetta against the entire Real side, as he clashed with Xabi Alonso, Pepe and repeatedly with Sergio Ramos, who received a glancing head butt during the game.
He was sent off in the following game in the Europa League fixture against Viktoria Plzen after another head butt on David Limbersky, earning himself a three-match ban for what was labelled an “assault”.
With Suarez missing a number of games through suspension during his time at Anfield, Rodgers could turn to Costa to lead the line of attack, although his record last season in doesn’t bode well, picking up 13 yellow cards as well as the red in Europe – more than his goals scored in the League and Europe combined.
Soccerbase says Costa scored 12 goals in the Europa and La Liga last season; he picked up 1 yellows and a straight red.It also says the Brazilian is 6ft 1inch in his socks.
The Mail says Liverpool “have submitted a €25million (£21.85m) offer to trigger a release clause in Costa’s contract”.
Sky says: “Liverpool make £20m bid for Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa”
So. Costa is not the new Suarez, who learnt his football the hard way. Here’s Costa:
“Boys who grew up playing in academies are taught to control themselves and respect others but no one ever told me otherwise. I didn’t have a school to teach me this. I was used to seeing players elbowing each other in the face and I thought it was the norm.”
Sid Lowe enforces the view that Costa is no Suarez:
Costa is one of La Liga’s finest wind-up merchants. Plenty of people don’t much like what he does yet they can’t help but admit that he’s very good at it. If other teams’ fans hate him, his fans love him – a little guiltily, perhaps, but still – and even those who hate him sometimes can’t help a sneaky smile. There is, after all, something a bit comic about it, something a bit cartoon bad guy. His is a dangerous game but it can be a pretty successful one too. And Sunday night summed it up perfectly. “Dr Jekyll and Mr Costa” Marca’s headline called him.
As for Kondogbia, he’s wanted by Arsenal, says ESPN. Back in July, the Mail declared:
Gunners seize chance to bring in Kondogbia from cash-strapped Sevilla
In June, the Metro said:
Manchester United open talks with Sevilla over Geoffrey Kondogbia transfer
So. Look out for Kondogbia, a black United player, getting into it with a South American with a bit of history. Pass the chocolate and the song sheet…
More Transfer Balls every day…
Posted: 3rd, August 2013 | In: Sports Comment | TrackBack | Permalink
