Chelsea face the prospect of missing out on a huge transfer windfall this summer, with Diego Costa reportedly only interested in an Atletico Madrid return.
In an ideal world, Antonio Conte would see the Spanish international stay at Stamford Bridge and help him build on their successful first season together.
Having won the Premier League title this past campaign, Costa will undoubtedly have an integral role moving forward as the Blues go on to target further major honours as they return to the Champions League next season too.
However, according to The Independent, the 28-year-old could leave the club in a difficult position as he favours a return to Atletico Madrid over any other option were he to leave west London.
That’s bad news for Chelsea as the report adds that Tianjin Quanjin were willing to splash out £76m for the striker, whereas Atleti will only spend around £20m on their former star.
Having effectively ruled out a move to the Chinese Super League after the FA Cup final on Saturday though, it’s seemingly becoming a less likely option for the commanding forward, and that’s where it becomes a tricky situation for Chelsea.
If they are to lose him, they will undoubtedly want significant funds from that sale to reinvest in the squad and strengthen further. In turn, missing out on around £56m if he returns to Spain would be a huge blow, but it’s one that they could have to deal with based on this report.
With the World Cup approaching next summer, Costa will fully aware of the impact that a move to China would have on his chances of making the final squad. As a result, either staying at Chelsea or moving back to Atleti would be the most sensible decision for his career for the time being.