---
title: "Vlasic: Everton kept No.19 shirt free for Diego Costa"
canonical: "https://readeverton.com/vlasic-everton-kept-no-19-shirt-free-diego-costa/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Michael Oliver"
section: "Everton News"
published: "2017-10-25T14:57:13Z"
modified: "2017-10-25T15:12:36Z"
---

# Vlasic: Everton kept No.19 shirt free for Diego Costa

Towards the end of the transfer window, with it set in stone that he wasn’t to feature in Chelsea’s plans this season, Diego Costa was being linked with some surprise loan moves.

One team that were interested in the Spaniard were Everton as former manager Ronald Koeman looked at him to replace Romelu Lukaku.

At the end of the day, no deal was agreed and Costa has since finalised a January transfer to Atletico Madrid but no one was really sure how genuine Everton’s interest was, until now.

Nicola Vlasic, a summer signing from Hadjuk Split, has [revealed that the Toffees were keeping the No.19 shirt free](https://www.goal.com/en/news/everton-were-keeping-no19-free-for-diego-costa/ot3sztg20a7x1ba0fcvo76aw8) at Goodison Park for Costa’s potential arrival.

Speaking to *24sata*, Vlasic explained:

> No.27 was free, I wanted 8 but Ross Barkley wears it, while the club was keeping 19 for Diego Costa.

Everton failed to sign Costa but Vlasic’s comments seem to imply they were hopeful he’d sign, enough so that they reserved a shirt for him.