Chelsea fans are for the second season in a row being forced to watch the Champions League as purely an outside spectator.
They are closer to the competition at the moment than a year ago. Enzo Maresca’s men are getting themselves ready for Conference League action on Thursday.
The competition is likely being used this season as a scouting opportunity, with it likely that the Blues are still going to be busy when the transfer window opens again.
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Despite the increasingly impressive performances of Nicolas Jackson up front for the Blues, reports have not gone away that they could be interested in signing a new striker.
Over the summer they were linked to a number of big name players, however one name who never really cropped up at the top of their reported list was Viktor Gyokeres.
Chelsea fans compare Viktor Gyokeres to Diego Costa
He was back in action for Sporting Lisbon last night, scoring early in the second half of their 2-0 win against Sturm Graz.
The Sweden international picked the ball up just inside the oppositions half, before turning his man effortlessly and driving at goal with electric pace.
He rounded the goalkeeper and converted to seal the win for his side, and no doubt impress any top clubs who were monitoring his performance.
Chelsea supporters took to social media to share their instant response to his goal, with many comparing him to a flub legend of the past.
One user said: “This is Diego Costa’s regen.”
Another added: “We need to get him at Chelsea. Forget Osimhen.”
A third simply said: “Costa was never this good.”
Another claimed: “What a pace! If he can do this in a top flight league, the Haaland has a rival already.”
Finally, one user stated: “The reason why I want him …. He’s has Jackson qualities along with target man qualities.”
Where is Diego Costa now?
After a brief spell at Wolves, Diego Costa now finds himself playing for Gremio at the age of 36.
Costa is easily one of Chelsea’s best ever strikers, with him crucial to the Blues winning two Premier League titles during his time here.
One of their transfer targets over the summer, Samu Omorodion, has drawn comparisons to Costa for the physical nature of his play.
Chelsea will no doubt point to the fine form of Jackson and Christopher Nkunku up front as reason why they were right not to sign a new striker over the summer.
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