Diego Costa to Atletico Madrid is not happening anytime soon, according to Chelsea boss Antonio Conte. The Spanish forward has been linked with a switch back to his former club for the better part of this week but the Italian manager insists that the player (pictured below) is not for sale.
Further reports from Spain this week suggest that the Blues forward had handed in a formal transfer request to his current club ahead of his expected return to the Vicente Calderon. Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo was also quoted claiming that the deal was almost done but he later denied that he made the comments.
Speaking ahead of their preseason friendly match against WAC RZ Pellets on Wednesday, Conte, a former Italy national team manager, said:
"Diego Costa is our player, he's a fantastic player with fundamental importance. He's very happy and is working hard."
The 27-year-old signed a five-year deal with the Stamford Bridge outfit two years ago, and still has three more years remaining in his contract. He is part of the Chelsea squad currently in their pre-season camp in Austria.
The Blues will fly to the US after their Wednesday fixture to participate in the International Champions Cup. They will face Premier League rivals Liverpool, La Liga giants Real Madrid and Serie A bigwigs AC Milan, before returning home to play West Ham United in their opening match of the season.
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