Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has revealed the club made the decision to part ways with Diego Costa in January.
The Spanish striker is keen on rejoining his former side Atletico Madrid after a difficult season under Conte although he managed to score 20 goals in the Premier League.
Conte reveals he decided to let the striker leave the club in January following Costa’s insistence on leaving the club to the Chinese Super League side Tianjin Quanjian.
Speaking to the club’s official website, Conte refused to speak about a player he no longer considers part of his squad.
I don’t like to talk about a player when they don’t stay here, the only things I can tell you is in January the Costa situation was very clear for the club, for him and for his agent, and the situation is closed.
Antonio Conte, Chelsea FC
Chelsea did all they could to get the striker to remain the club but Conte will have none of his antics next season and has moved to replace him – with the arrival of Alvaro Morata – and has inexplicably told Costa he can leave.
Last season’s Chelsea top striker was left out of the Blues preseason tour to Asia where Chelsea will take on Arsenal, Bayern Munich and Inter Milan.
