A lot has been written about Diego Costa since his summer move to Chelsea. A lot.
The Spanish international has dominated the headlines with tales of him being Chelsea's saviour, a new dawn being ushered in by his prolific form in front of goal.
It hasn't exactly been propaganda, although the risk was always there one hack would get carried away and declare him the Jesus of Stamford Bridge.
Rather surprisingly, it's one of his teammates who has beat the media to the punch. Well, sort of.
Filipe Luis hasn't done much since following Costa out of the Vicente Calderon Stadium to west London, but from his seat on the Chelsea bench, he has clearly enjoyed his performances as much as Chelsea fans have.
This week, Luis has thrown Costa's hat in the ring as a contender for the Ballon d'Or.
"I will not be surprised if he is in the top five of the Ballon d’Or this year and he will deserve it," explained the Brazilian, per Evening Standard .
Not quite, Filipe. Not yet, at least.
Costa's rise to prominence has been a rapid one. His reputation was always growing at Atletico Madrid and when Falcao eventually flew the nest, the spotlight was firmly on him to achieve.
Costa needed to perform, to score the goals that would rank him alongside his former strike partner and the world's other leading front men.
He achieved that in emphatic style, winning Atletico the La Liga title last season and very nearly the Champions League with it.
His efforts earned Costa his lucrative move to Chelsea. Phase one of his journey is complete.
Now he needs to do it all again, but this time go one better.
Goals are a valuable commodity in football, but then so is flair, style and the ability to be a one-man army at times.
Sure, Costa was that and more on occasion for Atletico, only now the stakes are higher. It wasn't so much expected of him while he donned the Colchoneros jersey, but more hoped for and he duly delivered when it mattered.
On the back of a £32 million fee and now playing for a club under far more scrutiny, it's suddenly demanded.
Before Costa can even be considered for the Ballon d'Or—the game's greatest accolade to be bestowed upon a player—he needs to show he can cut it regularly at the very top.
That means delivering trophies for Chelsea in the manner he did for Atletico; that means scoring the goals in the manner he did for Atletico; that means pulling Chelsea through games in the manner he did at Atletico; that means going toe-to-to with Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and winning.
Mentioning those two names comes with a stigma attached. Messi and Ronaldo's fame is such that their names are often plucked from thin air to compare anything these days.
A great goal is scored, but does it match Ronaldo's latest? A stunning solo run ends in an assist for a teammate, but does it compare to Messi's latest moment of brilliance for Barcelona? It's never ending.
Only, when it comes to the Ballon d'Or, they have set the standard. Even when they retire, future winners of the prize will be discussed in comparison to the Barcelona and Real Madrid stars.
In the modern era of football, the pair are what the Ballon d'Or looks like. It's how we know it.
Is Costa at that level? No he isn't. If he were, Chelsea would have been paying more than they did for him. That release clause would have been significantly more.
Costa has it in him to overcome the challenge Messi and Ronaldo will throw his way over the coming seasons, but right now it's all a bit premature to suggest he'll top them or come close.
It's unfair on the player, too.
Costa doesn't need these bold predictions being put his way, nor does he need the heightened pressure and expectation being mentioned as a Ballon d'Or candidate will bring.
The Chelsea striker needs time to complete his journey to greatness, starting with ending his debut campaign in London by lifting the Premier League trophy (and more Chelsea fans hope).
It's admirable why Luis was so willing to talk about his teammate in such terms. He's played with him for five seasons and seen him develop into one of the world's best strikers. He knows the player better than most.
Let's tone down the superlatives slightly, though—enjoy Costa for what he's doing now.
Talk of the Ballon d'Or can wait. There's always next year.
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Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes
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via IFTTT September 26, 2014 at 03:10PM
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