Atletico Madrid ready to go over £40m for Chelsea's Diego Costa and have intensive fitness plan already in place

The Spanish international would not actually to be able to play for the Liga club until January but they have prepared a detailed fitness regime to get him back to optimum condition until then

Miguel Delaney

Chief Football Writer

Tuesday 15 August 2017 07:52 EDT

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Diego Simeone is hoping to be reunited with Diego Costa before the window closes (Getty)

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Atletico Madrid have drawn up a detailed physical plan to get Diego Costa into peak fitness, in the event they finally sign him from Chelsea.

The 28-year-old striker's future remains up in the air as he is exiled from the English champions' squad with a legal process between they player's camp and club having been initiated.

But Atletico remain hopeful of signing him before the end of the window and are now willing to go to just over £40m to secure the transfer Costa himself so desperately wants.

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The Spanish international would not actually to be able to play for the Liga club until January due to their ban on registering players, so they have prepared a detailed fitness regime to get him back to optimum condition until then, under their highly-respected physical trainer Oscar 'El Profe' Ortega.

Part of it would see Costa do intensive individual sessions with Ortega, who has been responsible for Atletico's famed fitness under manager Diego Simeone.

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