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Chelsea close in on Atletico trio

Chelsea are close to a completing three deals with Atletico Madrid worth £51 million to sign Diego Costa, Filipe Luis and Tiago.

Negotiations on a £32m deal for striker Costa is close to completion, according to The Times, while the club are also willing to meet the £19m buyout clause in Luis's contract.

And Tiago, the 33-year-old who played under Jose Mourinho at Chelsea in the title-winning season of 2004-05, is available on a free transfer when his contract expires next month.

Torres says tactics deprived him of dynamism

Fernando Torres wants to prove Jose Mourinho wrong © Getty Images

• Fernando Torres says he felt "like a king" when he was at Liverpool and has been reduced to an introspective striker who has questioned his own ability since signing for Chelsea in 2011.
• The Spaniard blames Chelsea's style for leaving him feeling like he had "no gas" and is pining for a return to the days when he had a gauranteed starting place.
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Mourinho has made no secret of his desire to bolster his forward line, with Samuel Eto'o released and £50m flop Fernando Torres looking to be on his way out of Stamford Bridge.

A need for a left-back is a more recent problem for the Chelsea manager, following Ashley Cole's announcement that he is to leave the club after eight years.

Cesar Azpilicueta spent a lot of last season filling in for Cole, but Mourinho sees the Spaniard as his long-term right-back and his search for a left-footed defender has seen him linked heavily with Luis, Sevilla's Alberto Moreno and Southampton's highly-rated teenager Luke Shaw.

Luis said following Atletico's Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid that he was happy to stay in the Spanish capital.

However, his head may be turned by Chelsea, who are reportedly prepared to double the Brazilian's wages to £80,000 a week and confident of agreeing terms ahead of the World Cup.

Another player moving from the Vicente Calderon to west London could be goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. The Belgian goalkeeper has had a fruitful three years on loan at Atletico, winning the Europa League, European Super Cup and Copa del Rey before last week's final-day clinching of the La Liga title.

But despite Courtois' concern, Mourinho has reportedly made it clear he wants the stopper back as his first choice between the sticks - throwing into doubt Petr Cech's future at the club.

If Chelsea are to get hold of Atletico's top stars, chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin says they must pay the full asking price and will not get them on the cheap.

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