Chelsea are currently dealing with a murky issue of handling the transfer of Diego Costa with the striker not part of the current squad training with Antonio Conte.
Costa has headlined most of the transfer stories linked to Chelsea this summer after he revealed in June that Conte had sent a text message telling him, he wasn’t part of the club’s plans next season.
The matter has dragged over the entire summer with Costa ready to leave for Atletico but Chelsea seemingly reluctant to sell him for a fee lower than their estimations.
The forward has been Chelsea’s top scorer every season since he arrived at the club in the summer of 2014 while helping the Blues lift the title twice in that time.
Costa has proven a difficult player to handle for Conte following his arrival in 2016 and in January, there were whispers of discontent between the pair.
Conte later revealed there was a consensus to let the player leave this summer after Costa made the club his intentions to join the Chinese Super League side Tianjian Quanjin in the winter transfer window.
However, Costa’s statements in his interview with the Sports Mail on Sunday has prompted Chelsea to order him to complete four important steps in order to complete the deal to return to Ateltico in Spain.
In his comments he mentioned, he will be ready to accept a fine by the club if it means he stays out of training until a deal is struck with Diego Simeone’s side.
If I have to, I will stay in Brazil. I am open to being a year in Brazil without playing, even if Chelsea fine me for a year and don’t pay me,” Costa said. “I’ll come back stronger. If I was in the wrong, I’d go back now and do as they say.
Diego Costa, Daily Mail
Sky Sports revealed on Monday that Chelsea have instructed Costa to return to training or face a fine of two week wages with every game missed.
The Sun also reports that Chelsea have imposed four conditions on Costa to meet or face not joining Atletico this summer.
Costa is to report to training facility, resume training with teammates, prove his fitness and make himself available for selection.
It remains to be known if Costa will repair his relationship with his manager having made strong statements against Conte in his interview with the Mail. He said he’s lost personal respect for the Italian tactician and also claimed Chelsea are treating him ‘like a criminal’.
I respect him as a great coach. He has done a good job and I can see that, but as a person, no. He is not a coach who is very close with his players. He is very distant. He doesn’t possess charisma.
Diego Costa, Daily Mail
