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What's the story?
Diego Costa's falling-out with Antonio Conte has become stale stock these days. And according to Daily Star, to absolutely no one's surprise, Chelsea are ready to sell the Spaniard for £44m.
With Costa going public about wanting a move to his former team Atletico Madrid and muttering a prayer for Conte, the transfer saga is proving to be an explosive episode in Conte's Chelsea tenure.
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"Conte sent me a message saying he does not count on me for next season, so I’ll have to find a way out."
Costa has handed three very unceremoniously timed transfer requests in his three years at Stamford Bridge. He has had run ins with Mourinho and Conte and is no stranger to adverse punitive sanctions which has even seen him warm the bench on a couple of occasions. It is fair to say that the Spaniard is not one to be tamed.
With Alvaro Morata set to undergo his medical at Chelsea today ahead of a big money move from Real Madrid, Chelsea have already found their replacement for Costa.
The heart of the matter
Atletico Madrid have been handed a transfer ban and while this has worked in their favour in the Greizmann situation, there really is no question of it being a bane when it comes to their interest in Costa. The 28-year-old, who was seen partying in Brazil wearing an Atletico Madrid shirt, has expressed in no ambiguous terms what his preferred destination is.
But with the gates at Wanda Metropolitan remaining closed until January, Costa is in a fix. Barring the temperament issues, the Spaniard is still a lethal hitman. He mustered 20 goals and laid out seven assists in 35 Premier League appearances, propelling Chelsea to the Premier League crown. In all competitions, the Spanish international scored 22 goals for the Stamford Bridge outfit last season.
Also read: Reports: Manchester United to battle Chelsea for Premier League star
It is, therefore, unequivocally certain that Chelsea are going to want Costa's potential suitor to back off if they're not willing to hit the bank and pay big money since he has two years left on his contract.
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Author's take
Costa can do Chelsea's team morale no good. Conte doesn't want him at Chelsea who have already gone on to break the bank to sign Morata as his replacement.
The intentions of the parties are clear but with Atletico Madrid's transfer ban proving to be a stumbling block, Chelsea and Costa could find themselves in a pickle if nobody swoops in to sign the disgruntled Spaniard. But that doesn't mean the Blues should lower their asking price as Costa still has a lot to offer.
