Diego Costa would win Man City the Premier League, insists Micah Richards

Martin Macdonald

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

Former Man City defender Micah Richards believes the club should go and sign free agent Diego Costa as he would guarantee them a Premier League title win.

The former Spain international is currently without a club after leaving Atletico Madrid by mutual agreement around a month ago.

He has been strongly linked with a return to the Premier League, with Arsenal and Wolves being rumoured as interested parties.

Man City, meanwhile, have struggled to find consistency in their centre-forward position this season, with injuries, form, and coronavirus isolations seeing Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus in and out of the team.

With space for another striker in their squad, Richards believes City should take a punt on Costa.

“Manchester City are already on a ridiculously good run of form but if they signed Diego Costa now, he would win them the Premier League – I am sure of it,” he told BBC Sport.

“Costa is 32 and I am not suggesting he is a long-term solution for City up front, but the former Chelsea striker is a free agent after ending his Atletico Madrid contract in December, and can sign for anyone for nothing.

“Why not get him in until the end of the season? He would do more than just ruffle a few feathers and be a pain in the backside for opposition defences – he is a proven finisher who would offer Pep Guardiola’s side a proper plan B.

“Yes, you would have to cover Costa’s wages, but the massive difference he could make to City’s season would make that worthwhile.”

A major reason behind Costa’s departure from Atletico in December was his own struggles with form, as before he headed for the exit at the Wanda Metropolitano he had played just 205 minutes of football in the 2020/21 La Liga.

With Aguero and Jesus not always available, Man City head coach Pep Guardiola has been forced into selecting alternatives in the centre-forward position this season, with Raheem Sterling, Kevin De Bruyne, Ferran Torres, and Phil Foden all having acted in this role at one point.

Any deal for Diego Costa is looking unlikely at the moment, as Guardiola previously stated the club would not be conducting any major transfers in the January window.