Why Diego Costa is exactly the type of player Arsenal are missing – Frank Lampard

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Chelsea legend Frank Lampard believes Arsenal need a striker of Diego Costa‘s calibre if they are to improve as a team.

The Gunners face Atletico Madrid tomorrow evening in the second leg of their Europa League semi-final match at the Wanda Metropolitano, with the scoreline currently level at 1-1.

The north London club have invested heavily in strikers this campaign, spending £55m on Borussia Dortmund forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and £46.5m on Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette, taking their total spending on strikers to over £100m for this season alone.

However, the Gunners have disappointed this term – notably in the league – with a sixth-place finish the most likely outcome for a club who are now officially unable to harness enough points to place in the top-four.

Lampard – who won three league titles, four FA Cups, and both the Champions League and the Europa League with Chelsea – believes that former Blues’ marksman Costa would be the perfect leading man for the Gunners, as he would demand more from this current crop of Arsenal players.

“Costa is exactly the kind of personality missing from Arsenal’s dressing room, someone with that winning mentality,” Lampard told the Evening Standard.

“The English game has missed him this season after he rejoined Atletico from Chelsea. He is a big player, a big character. Love him or hate him, you have to appreciate that kind of player.

“Chelsea have certainly not looked the same without Costa. Not only is he a big physical presence, he has great quality to score goals.”

Costa was a big personality at Stamford Bridge throughout his time at the club, where he scored 52 times in 120 matches in all competitions, averaging a goal every 2.30 matches.

Despite his scoring prowess, current boss Antonio Conte famously instructed Costa to leave the club last summer, with the striker eventually moving back to Spain to rejoin his former club Atletico Madrid in January.