KOP IN SHOCK COSTA MOVE?

CALLS are mounting for Liverpool to complete a shock transfer deal to sign Diego Costa (caricature). The Blues striker, 28, fired Antonio Conte’s side to Premier League glory last season but he’ll never play for the club again. The Italian boss has told Costa he’s free to go after a summer fallout which has left the Spaniard out the first-team picture. Atletico Madrid want to do a deal but a transfer ban means they can’t finalise a move until January. That led to Kop legend Phil Thompson calling for Liverpool to sign him in the meantime – and now former Anfield star David Thompson has thrown his weight behind a possible deal. He tweeted last night: “Could Lfc sign Costa from the chels? “I’d have him if we keep Coutinho he. needs creativity behind him to get goals #Lfc #Costa.” Liverpool tried to sign Costa in 2013 but their £21million offer was knocked back by Atletico. He then subsequently joined Chelsea.

For all the excitement around Goodison Park this summer, it has been easily forgotten that Everton have lost the player who scored more than a third of their goals last season.

To say Ronald Koeman’s side relied on Romelu Lukaku and his final tally of 26 is something of an understatement. The next highest scorer managed just six and worse still, that man Ross Barkley is close to following Lukaku out the door.

The hope is that new attacking additions Sandro Ramirez, Davy Klaassen and Wayne Rooney – plus the potential signing of Swansea City’s Gylfi Sigurdsson for an exorbitant fee – will more than make up for the loss of the club’s most influential players.

Everton new boys (from left) Sandro Ramirez, Wayne Rooney and Davy Klaassen