Chelsea striker Diego Costa has revealed that manager Antonio Conte has told him that the striker is not part of his plans for next season.
It has been reported for quite some time that there is tension between the Chelsea manager Antonio Conte and star striker Diego Costa. Last Summer Costa had hoped for a move to his old club Atletico Madrid, and this previous January it was rumored he was headed to Chinese side Tianjin Quanjian for a record deal. The rumored salary for him was around £30 million per year.
These rumors are perhaps now proven to be true as the news was made official that the Spaniard is not in the Blues' future plans.
Conte sends a message
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is a man who does not mess around with his job. Blues supporters have taken the motto "In Conte we trust" when an issue arises within the team.
Their faith in the Italian, however, has been put to the test recently.
Following Spain's 2-2 draw with Colombia, Costa revealed that Antonio Conte does not have him in his future plans.
"I have to leave Chelsea this summer because Conte has told me that he’s not counting on me [for next season]."
In an interview with Marca, he also confirmed that his relatioship with the manager has not been great.
"My relationship with [Conte] has been bad this season and it is clear that he does not want me on the team."
What does this mean for Chelsea?
After a few seasons where they lacked a star striker, Chelsea finally found their answer in Diego Costa. Three years later and three more trophies under his belt, it is time for him to take the next step in his career. He is already being linked with a move to Italian side AC Milan.
On the flip side, how will Chelsea respond to this? Well, this saga points to the imminent announcement of Romelu Lukaku's next destination. It seems the Belgian will be making a return to Stamford Bridge as reports say he is rejecitng a better offer form Manchester United.
The next quesiton that pops up is how will this affect Conte's choice in formation. If Lukaku does in fact make a return to Chelsea, will Conte change his formation to having two strikers? This would open the door for fellow Belgian Michy Batshuayi to get more playing time.
While fans can't thank Diego Costa enough for his contributions to the club, it's time to put faith in Antonio Conte as we enter his second season leading the helm.