Chelsea finally snare Costa, but is Hazard on his way to PSG?

Spanish striker passes Chelsea medical as Blues meet buyout clause, but rumours surround Hazard

Diego Costa
(Image credit: Copirighted Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno)

It's taken a while, but Chelsea are finally ready to finalise the signing of Atletico Madrid frontman Diego Costa. According to the BBC, not only has Costa passed his Stamford Bridge medical but Chelsea have met the buyout clause in his Atletico contract. So now all that is left to negotiate are the 25-year-old's personal terms.

The buyout clause is said to be £32m but for the Blues that's a small price to pay for a player who scored 36 goals in 52 games for the Spanish outfit in the season just gone. The Brazil-born striker is in Spain's World Cup squad and Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho had been eager to seal the deal before the tournament starts next week. With the Blues firing blanks up front for a lot of the season, Mourinho sees Costa as the man with the sharpshooting skills the club requires if they're to win the title next season

Still with the Blues and Eden Hazard's old man has told Belgian rag Sudpresse that there will be no news on the future plans of his son until after the World Cup. Thierry Hazard acts as the Chelsea star's agent and he was responding to rumours that Eden might be looking to break with the Bridge.

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"I read transfer news on Eden every day, but at this moment nothing has happened," said Hazard senior. There have been rumours in Europe that Paris Saint-German are lining up an eye-watering £73m offer for the 23-year-old playmaker, but Thierry snapped: "There will be no transfer news during the World Cup."

Elsewhere and Goal.com reports that Roma are determined to fend off Manchester United's interest in Kevin Strootman. The 24-year-old Dutchman is said to be one of the six names on Louis van Gaal's summer shopping list as the new boss of the Red Devils goes about rebuilding the squad ahead of next season. A knee injury has sidelined Strootman for much of the year and though he won't be back on his feet till the autumn, such is his promise that van Gaal is allegedly ready to break the bank for his compatriot.

Strootman's agent, Chiel Dekker, has admitted that his client "is of interest to Louis van Gaal" but added: "Roma do not want to sell. The first thing is its all between [the] clubs... the clubs have to decide. He's very happy at Rome, he's happy to stay because they play Champions League next season, and happy to recover his injury, so at this stage we are not part of any discussion."

Down at White Hart Lane Michael Dawson has reportedly distanced himself from a Tottenham departure. Talksport says that the 30-year-old veteran defender has attracted interest from Crystal Palace and Hull City after his consistent performances at the back for Spurs last season. But asked by Talksport if there was any truth in the tittle-tattle, Dawson pledged his future to the Lilywhites: "The expectations are high and the players want to achieve them. We want to be in the top four and hopefully next year we'll have another push."

Finally, Metro reports that Arsenal have made a £1m offer for Paris Saint-Germain winger Kingsley Coman. The 17-year-old recently rejected a new contract at the French champions and that prompted Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger to table the six figure bid. Juventus and Newcastle United have both been linked to Coman in recent weeks but Metro claims the Gunners are confident their offer of a four-year deal will be accepted by PSG.

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