Chelsea have an illustrious recent history, boasting some of the greatest players to grace the Premier League.

Enjoying countless domestic honours including six league titles and further two Champions Leagues, it is no surprise that they have attracted some true star power to Stamford Bridge.

However, it is not just the allure of the club alone that has convinced players to join over the years, as the immeasurable quality of managers has served to match the playing staff.

They too boast the pulling power needed to succeed at a club as unique as the west London outfit, with few personifying it better than Antonio Conte (Jose Mourinho excluded, for obvious reasons).

His tactical ideals revolutionised the Premier League, but it was buoyed up by the players he had at his disposal within the system, most notably the fearsome forward Diego Costa.

How long did Diego Costa play for Chelsea?

Having signed for the aforementioned Portuguese legend in 2014, the Brazil-born striker had starred at Atletico Madrid and came ready to use his aggression to take England by storm.

Hitting 20 goals in his debut season in the league as they won the title, the 6 foot 2 marksman would follow that up with the same tally during the 2016/17 campaign, adding eight assists as he then led Conte’s team to the same honour.

The Spaniard was feared by all across the division, with his penchant for the reckless and the dark arts often leaving defenders in a constant state of unease around him.

Journalist Alex Brotherton even suggested he was an “absolute animal” during that first year in the country.

With a desire to win at all costs, he typified a polarising club that had upset the apple cart for years now, and fans loved him for it.

Given their current struggles of late in the striker department, with Kai Havertz having deputised there, it is worth wondering just how impressive Graham Potter’s side would be with a prime Costa up front.

Six league goals this season is admirable for the German playing out of position, but he pales in comparison to the lethal finisher who would score, create and forge bedlam throughout.

For all his control, Potter craves an agent of chaos like the 34-year-old, to create space for the wealth of tricky talent that would surround him.

Although purely hypothetical, it remains a comforting thought to reimagine Costa tearing it up for Chelsea. Indeed, the brutish striker would now be perfect for their current needs.