The Best Premier League Transfers Ever: Diego Costa to Chelsea (2014/15)

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 19 May 2021 15:43 BST
• 3 min read

Quite simply a bully on the pitch, Diego Costa didn’t mess about; a centre-back’s nightmare to deal with, a 90 minute battle was customary.

His move from Atletico Madrid to Chelsea ensured the Premier League had a new character, someone who played with raw emotion and drive. His ability shouldn’t be undermined either, his finishing was world class and his spell at Stamford Bridge was certainly a success.

This article is part of FootballTransfers’ greatest-ever Premier League deals. We have selected just one standout transfer from every season of the Premier League, including two honourable mentions. This list will then be gathered to provide a definitive list of the best pieces of business in the Premier League era.

Diego Costa, Atletico Madrid to Chelsea, £34m

Signed for £34 million in the summer of 2014, Costa had attracted interest from Liverpool the previous summer but decided to stay at Atleti before Chelsea paid his release clause the next year.

Costa scored seven goals in his first four Premier League games, breaking the record of six held by Sergio Aguero and Micky Quinn, and it was this early season form that endeared him to the Chelsea faithful.

Costa was named in the PFA Team of the Season in 2014/15 after scoring 20 league goals, and firing Chelsea to a first Premier League title since 2010.

Chelsea also won the League Cup that season, and Costa helped the Blues repeat the Premier League success in 2016/17, where he again netted 20 times.

Costa thrived in big games, and he fed off the crowd arguably more than anyone in the league. Capable of winding up defenders into mistakes and then punishing them was a trademark Costa move.

His finishing has become underrated in recent years, thanks to injuries and a downturn in form now back at Atletico, but at his very best in a Chelsea shirt, Costa was simply unplayable.

With three trophies and 58 goals in 120 games, Diego Costa certainly left his mark on English football, and his presence in the league has been sorely missed.

Runner-up: Romelu Lukaku, Chelsea to Everton, £33m

Whilst Chelsea gained their talisman Costa in the summer of 2014, they lost Romelu Lukaku to Everton. The Belgian never got his chance at Stamford Bridge, but a chance is certainly what he received at Goodison Park.

Signed for a club record £33m, Lukaku hit the ground running for the Toffees, although not quite as much as Costa, netting 10 Premier League goals in his first permanent season at the club.

However, it was the following two seasons that saw Lukaku fully explode onto the scene; scoring 18 in 2015/16 and then 25 in 2016/17. Lukaku mixed pace with power, skill with strength and finishing with finesse; an all-round quality striker.

Everton managed to make a £45m profit on the Belgian when they sold him to Manchester united in 2017 and like Costa, he was the man who was responsible for his side’s goals but Costa’s trophy haul is what propels him above Lukaku in this list.

Runner-up: Alexis Sanchez, Barcelona to Arsenal, £38m

The Chilean signed for the Gunners for £38m and his three-and-a-half-year spell at the Emirates brought plenty of maical moments but unfortunately just two FA Cup triumphs.

Sanchez netted 53 goals in his three full Premier League campaigns for Arsenal, and he was consistently one of the league’s best performers during that time.

Alongside Mesut Ozil, Sanchez brought hope back to the club that had lost plenty after the departure of Robin van Persie. However, the relationship ended sourly and the free transfer swap with Henrikh Mkhitaryan didn’t end well for either player, Arsenal or Manchester United.

Lukaku brought Everton a profit, Costa brought Chelsea two Premier League trophies and whilst Sanchez delivered promise and arguably more high calibre performances than the aforementioned two, high lack of trophy haul or transfer fee is what sees him fall behind the two no.9s.