Everton 'open' to signing Chelsea forward Diego Costa on loan, Ronald Koeman reveals

Costa insists he wants to move to Atletico Madrid but with the Spanish club facing a transfer ban until January, a temporary move elsewhere could work in the meantime

Ronald Koeman wants to sign another striker and a left-sided defender this month (Getty Images)

Everton manager Ronald Koeman has admitted he is “open” to signing Diego Costa on a loan deal this month.

The Spanish forward has made clear his intentions to leave Chelsea but Atletico Madrid – his preferred destination – are banned from making any new signings until January.

And while Everton have bolstered their squad with club record signing Gylfi Sigurdsson this week, Koeman has admitted he would still like to bring in another striker – as well as a left-sided defender.

When asked during a press conference whether those signings would need to be permanent or could be temporary, Koeman replied, “Is that about Costa?!”, seemingly in reference to comments made by Joey Barton about the wantaway Chelsea forward’s situation.

"Of course you like to sign players for the future, but if you can get the best one that way, then why not?” the Dutchman added.

“That’s for six months, the season, two years.

“It’s difficult ­because it needs to be a quality player, or a young player who can develop or improve.

“We have the possibility maybe to sign good players, but we don’t play in the Champions League – and that sometimes makes things very difficult.”

Costa has spent the summer at his parents’ house in Brazil and, while he has been using a personal trainer, a loan deal has been suggested as a way for him to gain match fitness ahead of a move to the Spanish capital in the New Year.

The 28-year-old released a statement on Thursday claiming his situation at Chelsea – whom he accused of treating him like a “criminal” – was close to being resolved and that he would return to Atletico this season.

“My destination is already made. I must return to Atletico Madrid," he said in a statement.

"It turns out that Chelsea does not want to release me. But I believe that this situation will be resolved now on my return to Spain.”

As The Independent revealed this week, the Spanish club are willing to pay more than £40m to re-sign the player who made over 130 appearances and scored more than 60 goals for them between 2010 and 2014.