Chelsea
are interested in signing Atletico Madrid forward Jackson Martinez in
January, according to the player's agent.
Reports in Spain have claimed Chelsea are keen to bolster their forward
options during the January transfer window and would be willing to allow
Diego Costa to return to Atletico, in a deal which would see Martinez arrive
at Stamford Bridge.
When asked about Chelsea's interest in Martinez, his agent Henrique Pompeo
told AS: "I can't say it's a lie, this is football and nobody knows what the
future holds, what I can say is that Jackson isn't a player who leaves a
club unless it's through the front door."
Martinez joined Atletico from Porto for £25m last summer on a four-year
contract, but he has failed to recapture the prolific form he enjoyed for
the Portuguese club.
The 29-year-old scored 92 times in 132 appearances for Porto during his
three seasons at Estadio do Dragao, but has managed just three goals in 12
games for Atletico this season.
Despite confirming Chelsea's interest in Martinez, Pompeo insisted his
client was happy at Atletico and was determined to prove his worth.
"He made a decision and he's very happy in Madrid, he loves the club,
although obviously he would have preferred to have got off to a different
start on a personal level, but he's happy for the squad because things are
going well," Pompeo added.
"Jackson is very grateful to Atletico, to (chief executive Miguel Angel) Gil
Marin and (president Enrique) Cerezo, because they made a big economic
effort to sign him and with calm and continuity Jackson will pay them back
on the pitch.
"He's had to adapt to a new mentality playing style, and a thousand other
things, and then he was injured."
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