Chelsea striker Diego Costa says he has been told by manager Antonio Conte that he is no longer in the club’s plans.<\/p>\n
The 28-year-old scored 20 goals in 35 Premier League games to help the Blues win the title but now appears set to leave Stamford Bridge.<\/p>\n
“I’m a Chelsea player, but they do not want me there,” Costa said.<\/p>\n
“Antonio Conte has told me by message that I do not follow at Chelsea and that’s it. Conte said he did not count on me for next season.”<\/p>\n
Costa added: “My relationship with the coach has been bad this season. It’s a shame, I’ve already forwarded the message to Chelsea people to decide.<\/p>\n
“You have to find a team.”<\/p>\n
Brazil-born Spain international Costa joined Chelsea from Atletico Madrid for a reported \u00a332m in 2014.<\/p>\n
He spent four seasons at Atleti and suggested he might be open to a return, despite the La Liga club being banned from signing players until the January transfer window<\/p>\n
“Being five months without playing? I do not know, it’s complicated, but people know that I love Atletico a lot and that I love to live in Madrid,” Costa said.<\/p>\n
“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.”<\/p>\n
In January, Costa was left out of the Chelsea side for an away match at Leicester after he was involved in a dispute with a fitness coach.<\/p>\n
It followed reports of an offer from China that would have been worth \u00a330m a year in salary.<\/i> At the time, Chelsea said they had no intention of selling him.<\/p>\n
Later in January, Tianjin Quanjian’s owner said a bid to sign Costa had been scuppered by new rules over foreign players in the Chinese Super League.<\/p>\n
From next season, Chinese clubs will only be able to field three foreign players per game, instead of four as previously allowed.<\/p>\n
–<\/p>\n
Source: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chelsea striker Diego Costa says he has been told by manager Antonio Conte that he is no longer in the club’s plans. The 28-year-old scored 20 goals in 35 Premier League games to help the Blues win the title but now appears set to leave Stamford Bridge. “I’m a Chelsea player, but they do not […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[851,7966],"yoast_head":"\n