Diego Costa offered €3m-per-year contract at Benfica

BetOdds Transfers Benfica Primeira Liga Primera División Atlético Madrid

The Spain international has been a free agent since leaving Wanda Metropolitano in December, but could now be set to return to the game in Portugal

Former Atletico Madrid and Chelsea striker Diego Costa has been offered a €3 million-per-year contract at Benfica, Goal can confirm.

Costa is currently on the lookout for a new club, having seen his request to terminate his contract at Wanda Metropolitano granted at the end of December.

Benfica are now seeking to bolster their attacking options by adding the Spaniard to their ranks ahead of the 2021-22 campaign, having already made contact with the striker to lay down their terms.

Goal has learned that Benfica want to tie Costa down to at least a two-year deal, which means he will earn a total of €6m (£5m/$7m) in wages if he moves to Estadio Da Luz.

The Portuguese outfit are also prepared to give the 32-year-old a €3m transfer bonus, and he is very much open to joining the club because of their illustrious history.

The former Chelsea centre-forward was tipped to return to the Premier League in the January transfer window amid reported interest from the likes of Manchester City, Tottenham and West Ham.

However, a final deal never materialised and most of the clubs that have been linked with Costa's services since then have come from South America.

Sao Paulo and Palmeiras have been among those credited with an interest in the Brazil-born Spain international, but Goal has learned that he would prefer to continue playing at the highest level in Europe.

Costa began his professional career in Portugal with Braga before joining Atletico in 2007, where he initially struggled to make a breakthrough on the biggest stage.

The enigmatic frontman was sold to Real Valladolid two years later after a series of underwhelming loans, but Atletico brought him back to the club in 2010 to serve in a back-up capacity behind Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan.

When those two players moved on, Costa picked up the mantle and fired Atletico to a Liga title and Champions League final while embodying the spirit of his fiery manager Diego Simeone in the final third of the pitch.

He impressed enough to earn a big-money move to Chelsea in 2014, and helped the Blues win two Premier League titles before returning to Atletico for a third spell in 2018.

Costa has scored 181 goals in 474 competitive appearances so far, the last of which came from the penalty spot in Atletico's 3-1 win against Elche in December 19.

2021-03-08 18:00:04

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