LONDON, March 9- Red-hot Chelsea striker Diego Costa has claimed that he came close to joining Liverpool a year prior to swapping the Spanish capital for the one in England.
The Spain international left Atletico Madrid in the off-season after helping them clinch the La Liga title on the final day in a dramatic finish to campaign.
The Blues had been linked with his signature for quite some time, but they finally acquired his services after the World Cup, and Costa has thrived in England thus far, scoring 17 goals in just 19 league appearances.
But the 26-year-old has now revealed that he almost chose Anfield as his next destination, after the Reds reportedly matched his release clause, before he decided to pen a contract extension at the Vicente Calderon.
In quotes attributed to the Daily Mirror, he said: “I was close to leaving Atletico. Liverpool are a great team, but after fighting so hard and overcoming difficulties to get my place at Atletico, how could I leave?
“I thought it was very important to keep growing with Atletico and to play there for many years.”
As it turned out, Costa stayed in Madrid for just one more season after the west London outfit met his release clause.