Excitement as Former Chelsea and Atletico Madrid Star Edges Closer to Joining Top European Outfit This Summer

- Diego Costa edges closer to joining Benfica in the summer

- The 32-year-old has been clubless since he left Atletico Madrid about three months ago

- Sources however claim the former Premier League winner has agreed to join the Portuguese club for £5m

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Former Chelsea striker Diego Costa is reportedly on the verge of joining Benfica on a two-year deal worth £5 million.

The 32-year-old forward has been clubless since he parted ways with Atletico Madrid on mutual consent last December.

He has since then been weighing his options as regards the suitable club he will join whether on a short-term or on a permanent basis.

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Sources claim the two-time Premier League winner reached out to some clubs in Brazil but later decided to remain in Europe for some time.

Daily Mail quoting Mundo Deportivo claims the attacker rejected a deal from French League outfit Marseille who attempted to have him on their books.

This will now give him the chance to return to Portugal where he once played for Braga before heading for his first stint at Atletico Madrid in 2007.

Reports reveal Benfica offered him £2.6m a season to play for them, and Costa has agreed to the move in principle and will join them in June, however, if a better offer comes, he might consider.

His agent Jorge Mendes has a strong working relationship with the Portuguese side, and the money being offered is impressive for a player that fell out of favour at the Wanda Metropolitano last year.

Benfica would certainly be improved by Costa's arrival, given they are currently third in the Primeira Liga and 13 points off the pace of Sporting Lisbon.

Legit.ng earlier reported that Benfica seem to have offered former Chelsea and Atletico Madrid striker Diego Costa a massive £2.6million a year deal for him to put pen into paper for them.

Since leaving Spanish La Liga leaders in December last year, Diego Costa has been a free agent and there were even reports of him interested in making a return to the Premier League.

Benfica chiefs actually want Diego Costa for two years and they are working on the deal with the Spanish professional footballer.

Oluwatomiwa is a sports editor with Legit.ng. He has over eight years of field and office experience in the media industry. He graduated from the Nigerian Institute of Journalism in 2014 with HND in Mass Communication. Connect with him on Twitter @TomiwaBabalola.