Diego Costa reveals he was close to signing for Liverpool a year before Chelsea move

The Spain international almost moved to Anfield for £21m

(GETTY IMAGES)

Chelsea striker Diego Costa said he came close to moving to Liverpool in 2013 after the Reds met Atletico Madrid's £21m clause.

According to the Daily Mirror, Brendan Rodgers tried to bring the then relatively unknown player to Anfield but Costa was ultimately more intrigued by a new contract at Atletico Madrid that ran until 2018 and involved a doubling of his salary.

He then went on to amaze in La Liga and the Champions League which attracted the interest of numerous top clubs in Europe and the Spaniard eventually ended up at Chelsea following a £32m transfer last summer.

Costa said: "Liverpool are a great team, but after fighting so hard and overcoming difficulties to get my place at Atletico, how could I leave?

"I thought it was very important to keep growing with Atletico and to play there for many years."

The 26-year-old has taken the Premier League by storm since his arrival at Stamford Bridge, scoring 17 league goals thus far which have guided Jose Mourinho's club to the top of the table.

He shares the top scorer spot alongside Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero.