Diego Costa has confirmed that his future with the 2017 Premier League winners, Chelsea, is about to be severed as manager, Antonio Conte no longer wants him in the team.
“I’m a Chelsea player, but they do not want me there,” Costa said.
“Antonio Conte has told me by a message that I do not follow at Chelsea and that’s it. Conte said he did not count on me for next season.”
The striker was speaking following Spain’s 2-2 draw with Colombia on Wednesday.
“My relationship with the coach has been bad this season”, he added “It’s a shame, I’ve already forwarded the message to Chelsea people to decide.
Costa, a Brazilian-born Spain International was signed by former Chelsea boss, Jose Mourinho, in 2014 from La Liga side, Madrid; he was instrumental in the Blues winning the league that season. His time at the club has however been tumultuous and he has sometimes been seen as a disruptive character. In January, for instance, he was left out of the Chelsea side for an away match at Leicester after he was involved in a dispute with a fitness coach.
This season, Costa scored 22 goals for the London side, but it seems his exploits in the field of play is not enough to guarantee his continual stay at the club. Meanwhile, he has not ruled out the prospects of returning to his former club, saying,
“I love Atletico a lot and I love to live in Madrid. “It would be nice to go back, but it’s difficult to be four or five months without playing. It’s a World Cup year and there are many things to think about. I need to play, just that.”
Atletico Madrid is banned from signing new players until January 2018 as a penalty for breaching FIFA rules over the signing of minors.
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