Diego Costa not expected to return to Chelsea training

Chelsea striker Diego Costa is reportedly not expected to link up with the club for the start of pre-season training as his transfer to Atletico Madrid draws nearer.

Blues manager Antonio Conte has made it clear to the Spain international that he doesn’t have him in his plans for next season, with the player keen to return to his former club.

Costa was Chelsea’s top scorer last season as they won the Premier League title and reached the FA Cup final, but has never fully settled in his three years in London.

Marca claim that progress has been made on his move back to the Vicente Calderon, as well as for Chelsea to sign Everton striker Romelu Lukaku as his replacement at Stamford Bridge.

Atletico are supposedly hopeful that a deal for Costa can be done later this month, with the 28-year-old expected to spend the first half of the season training with the club while they wait for their transfer ban to be lifted in January.

While the ban does not technically prevent them from making signings this summer, it does not allow them to register new players in their squad until it finishes in the middle of the season, leading to rumours that Costa could be loaned out until then.

However, all recent reports point towards the Spaniard training with Diego Simeone’s side before finally making his debut next year.