Atletico Madrid sign Kevin Gameiro, killing off chances of Diego Costa return

The clubs have not confirmed the figures involved, but Gameiro's transfer fee reportedly equates to around €40 million: €31m up front, €5m in add-ons, and an effective €4m for Luciano Vietto moving in the opposite direction on a season-long loan as a makeweight.

Gameiro, who scored 67 goals and racked up 17 assists in three years at the Andalusian club, has signed a four-year contract with the Champions League runners-up.

Atletico Madrid sporting director Jose Luis Caminero hailed the team's new addition as a “perfect” addition to the side’s attack.

"He's a forward who is accustomed to pressing defenders and tireless in his effort, so he fits perfectly into what we wanted to strengthen our attack" he told Marca. "[His arrival is] great news."

Saturday's papers had suggested that the deal would go through imminently: according to Marca and transfer expert Gianluca Di Marzio, Atleti’s desperation to sign a No 9 saw them accelerate talks for Gameiro on Friday after they deemed Diego Costa’s return “impossible”.

Sporting director Andrea Berta is said to have handled negotiations while the team have been in Australia for preseason, the newspaper concluding “it is only a matter of time” before the signatures are jotted. That prediction has now been proven accurate.

The deal seems to mark the end of any chance that Chelsea forward Diego Costa would return to his former club, a move which the Brazil-born striker had been seemingly keen to push through.

Instead Diego Simeone has plumped for the French striker who has been one of the key players in a squad which has won three consecutive Europa League titles.

"Griezmann, Gameiro, Torres and Correa seems to be a good set of forwards for Atletico," writes Eurosport Spain's Cristian Maxedo.

"Only a loan of Angel Correa to another team - such as Barcelona, who have been keen - could re-open the Costa deal.

"But to be honest I think they were trying to get it off the ground for months. Simeone would have preferred Costa, but Chelsea refused to budge. There's a 0.1% chance something could change now."

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