Chelsea can sign their new Diego Costa as Jhon Duran transfer alternative identified

Chelsea have been speaking to Atletico Madrid in recent days about the possibility of signing striker Samu Omorodion this summer.

football.london understands Atleti told the Blues that they would not accept a £34million offer should it be submitted for the 20-year-old. Chelsea have recently cooled their interest in Aston Villa striker Jhon Duran after talks over the past week or so.

There were said to be some concerns about Duran's attitude and his wage demands. Omorodion has been identified as someone with the profile that the club are looking to add to the squad this summer for Enzo Maresca's debut season in charge at Stamford Bridge.

Nicolas Jackson was heavily relied upon last season, with the 22-year-old making 44 appearances for the west Londoners in all competitions. Chelsea are looking to avoid a repeat of that for the upcoming campaign with a striker being targeted to add support and competition.

Omorodion spent the 2023/24 season on loan at fellow Spanish club Alaves and scored nine goals in 34 La Liga appearances. After a really positive start to the season, the Spanish forward, who made his impressive physical attributes known to La Liga defenders last season, he was compared to Chelsea hero Diego Costa.

The comparisons were easy given Costa's previous affiliation with Atletico Madrid as well. However, he is not looking to replicate what the former Spain international did in his career. Instead, he wants to write his own history.

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Asked by AS how he feels about being compared to Costa, Omorodion replied with: "Being compared to a player who has made history at Atleti is always appreciated. But I am Samu, and I want to write my own story."

At such a young age, and with very little experience in the senior game, Omorodion caught the eye with his ability in front of goal. Not just that, but his tendency to score different types of goals.

Last season, he scored two counter-attacking goals, two headers, two left-footed strikes and three with his preferred right foot. That makes him adaptable for numerous styles of play, as he explained last year in the same interview with AS.

"I feel more comfortable running into space because I am a powerful player and I feel dominant in that aspect," Omorodion said. "But if the situation arises that the team dominates and I have to look for the play in the area, I also feel good."