Chelsea’s ‘king of trouble’ and ‘bad boy’,
Diego Costa has been banished from first
team training by manager Antonio Conte
and has been told by the club’s
management that he won’t play for Chelsea
again.
Costa told the club he wanted to leave three
times in the last ten months- The first was
during last year’s pre-season tour when he
asked to return to Atletico Madrid, his
former club. Conte, responded by benching
him for two friendlies. Second time was in
January when Costa made it clear he wanted
the mega-money move to Chinese club,
Tianjin Quanjian in January while third time
was at the end of the season.
Now with the 70 million Pounds capture of
Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid, Conte has
banished Costa from first team training and
its now clear the Spanish striker will leave
the club as soon as possible. Costa is not on
the club’s pre-season tour squad and has
been granted extended leave so he can
conclude a deal with former club, Atletco
Madrid.
‘In January, the Costa situation was made
very clear,’ said Conte, speaking for the first
time since his infamous post-season text-
message exchange with the striker.
‘For the club, for him and his agent and for
me the situation is closed.’
24 year old Morata, Costa’s replacement,
completed his move on Friday is set to join
up with the Chelsea squad in Singapore.
‘This is a good signing for us,’ said Conte.
‘Morata is a young player but he has a lot of
experience and played in the past with Real
Madrid and Juventus in the league and the
Champions League.
‘He’s a good striker, a player with the right
prospects for Chelsea.’
Costa was Chelsea’s top scorer with 20 goals
last season.
