Chelsea Legend Reveals Why He Thinks Costa is Leaving Stamford Bridge

Chelsea Legend Reveals Why He Thinks Costa is Leaving Stamford Bridge

It has been widely reported this summer that Diego Costa will leave Stamford Bridge. The forward has been Chelsea’s main man up front since his arrival in 2014, helping the side to 2 league titles in that time. However, his presence in the team has not come without any issues.

News broke earlier last month that manager Antonio Conte had supposedly texted Costa to tell him he is not part of his plans for the up and coming season, with the Spain international being linked with a move back to Atletico Madrid.

It remains a mystery if Chelsea actually want one of the best strikers in the world to leave the club, but speaking on ITV, former Chelsea star Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has revealed why he thinks Antonio Conte may want to let the big striker go.

“I think Conte is thinking about the team and the bigger picture.” said Hasselbaink.

“I think, we all know that Costa is a smart individual, and I think he has played this to his benefit. I think there is more behind it than just a text. Conte is way too smart, way too experienced to this situation, to be just that. I think there’s always been a little bit of friction between them.”

“How many years has he been at Chelsea now? Three years. I think for that kind of player, that kind of energy that he takes from a manager, it’s just enough that time spell.”

[Quotes from the Daily Star]

Costa would be sorely missed in the Premier League if he left Stamford Bridge, but it has to be noted that a move away has been touted for a while, it was only in January that the striker was said to be keen on a move to China. Nevertheless Chelsea have been linked with a host of replacements for Costa should he leave, with Romelu Lukaku the favourite to make his return to London. If you want to see odds on Costa leaving Chelsea or Lukaku rejoining Chelsea you can do so at www.online-betting.org as well as seeing the odds on numerous other sports.

Even though rumours persist about the Spanish striker, it is clear that Antonio Conte likes Diego Costa as a player – you only need to take a look at the Italian’s team selections from the title win and Costa was virtually an ever present.