Barcelona attempted to sign Diego Costa back in 2009, but Atletico Madrid won out in the bidding.

Costa was sold by Atleti to Chelsea in 2014.

“In 2009 people started to sit up and notice Diego Costa, and we had to think hard about what his next move should be,” says Jesús García Pitarch (Atletico sporting director).

“Even Barcelona wanted to buy him and their technical secretary, Albert Valentín, called to say, ‘What are your plans for him? I really like him – he looks like he’s got a bit of talent. We’d like him for Barca B’.

“‘Yes, I like him too. That’s why we bought him,’ I told him. ‘And I’m not going to sell him to you, firstly because I think this lad can go far and secondly because it makes no sense for me to sell him to you for €3 million now. Better for me to wait five years and then you can have him for €40 million.’”