MX23RW : Wednesday, May 1 16:30:42| >> :60:479:479:

Antonio Conte 'will not hold peace talks with Diego Costa'

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte reportedly has no plans to hold clear-the-air talks with Diego Costa amid speculation that the striker wants to leave the club.

Chelsea manager Antonio Conte will reportedly refuse to hold clear-the-air talks with striker Diego Costa amid speculation that he is trying to engineer a move away from the club.

Costa is understood to have clashed with Conte and fitness staff over pain in his back last week, and was subsequently left out of the side for Saturday's 3-0 victory over Leicester City in the Premier League.

The club have claimed that Costa's back injury was the reason for his absence from the squad, but numerous reports suggest that the 28-year-old has been unsettled by a lucrative offer from Chinese Super League club Tianjin Quanjian.

Costa spent Sunday and Monday training alone while the rest of the first-team squad enjoyed two days off, with Conte expected to assess the striker's fitness when they return on Tuesday.

However, The Guardian reports that Conte will restrict his judgement to Costa's performance on the training ground and has no plans to hold peace talks with the wantaway Spain international.

Chelsea are determined to keep hold of the Premier League's joint-top goalscorer, who still has two-and-a-half years left on his contract, and will resist any overtures from China this month.

However, the report also states that plans to offer the player a new contract have now been put on hold, with a summer exit expected.

ID:289614: cacheID:289614:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:2614:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Diego Costa of Chelsea in action during his side's Premier League clash with Southampton at St Mary's on October 30, 2016
Read Next:
Chelsea 'to assess Costa on Tuesday'
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal35255585285780
2Manchester CityMan City34247382325079
3Liverpool35229477364175
4Aston Villa35207873522167
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs33186967521560
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd34166125251154
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle341651374551953
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham351310125665-949
9Chelsea33139116359448
10Bournemouth35139135260-848
11Wolverhampton WanderersWolves35137154855-746
12Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton341111125257-544
13Fulham35127165155-443
14Crystal Palace351010154557-1240
15Everton35128153748-1136
16Brentford3598185260-835
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3579194262-2026
18Luton TownLuton3567224877-2925
19Burnley3559213870-3224
RSheffield UnitedSheff Utd3537253497-6316


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!