Antonio Conte is optimistic Diego Costa will stay at Chelsea but says the striker’s future will be addressed at the end of the season.
Chelsea boss Antonio Conte says he is optimistic that Diego Costa will remain a Chelsea player, but claims that the future of the forward will be dealt with at the end of this season.
Rumors of Diego Costa wanting to leave West London began when reports suggested he had a bust-up with fitness coaches at Chelsea’s Cobham training ground, with reports of a big bid from China also said to have unsettled the forward.
Costa himself replied to these various rumors via Instagram, posting pictures of himself in training with captions such as “Come on Chelsea!” along with another, saying “They talk too much [EXPLICIT].”
Since these reports first emerged, Diego Costa has returned to the Chelsea first team and seems to be focused on the task of helping Antonio Conte clinch the Premier League crown in his first season as Chelsea boss.
Conte was asked about the future of Diego Costa at a press conference.
“I think now it’s very important to be focused on the present and not to look so far forward,” said Conte, speaking ahead of Saturday’s FA Cup fifth-round tie at Wolves.
“At the end of the season we will see the situation.”
Conte was then asked if he was confident over whether the 28-year-old Spain striker would be staying.
He said: “Yes, I’m confident. I repeat: now it’s important to keep the great concentration for the present.
“The present is tomorrow’s game against Wolverhampton. We must go in the next round.”
