Atletico Madrid want to sign Chelsea striker

Atletico Madrid have reportedly earmarked Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud as the ideal replacement for Diego Costa.

Costa recently terminated his contract with the Spanish giants and he has been linked with a return to the Premier League with Wolverhampton Wanderers interested.

On the other hand, Giroud has revived his Blues career after a tough start to the season and he is their leading scorer this term with nine goals across all competitions.

Despite this, the speculation over his future has not ceased and Rai Sport claims that Diego Simeone has identified the Frenchman as the ideal player to fill the void left by Costa.

Giroud was keen on a move to the Serie A last winter before his transfer was blocked. He has since been a key player for the Blues with vital goals and they are unlikely to sanction his mid-season departure.

His current contract expires at the end of the campaign, but there is a strong possibility that he will remain beyond that period. He has been very reliable with 13 goals in his previous 13 starts.