Diego Costa has not asked to leave Chelsea and is expected to stay at Stamford Bridge this summer.
Reports in Spain today suggested that the striker had handed in a transfer request in order to force through a move back to Atletico Madrid.
But sources say that is not the case and Costa is training with the rest of the squad as normal at their pre-season base in Austria.
Atletico Madrid are desperate to re-sign the 27-year-old, who joined Chelsea from the La Liga club for £32m in 2014
Costa has struggled to settle in London and has looked to return to his former side over the past two years.
However, as reported earlier in March, new coach Antonio Conte wants the Spain international to stay and he is prepared to keep leading the line for Chelsea.
Costa, who has scored 32 League goals in 51 starts for the Blues, has returned from a summer break fully fit and started up front in Chelsea’s 2-0 defeat to Rapid Vienna on Saturday.
Chelsea are looking to sign another centre forward even though they have already bought Michy Batshuayi from Marseille for £32m.
The new addition won’t arrive to replace Costa, but will help with Conte’s plan to play with two strikers.
Chelsea are interested in Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata, Everton’s Romelu Lukaku and Santos star Gabriel Barbosa.
Richard Such is a veteran sports journalist and the Senior Managing Editor at 234sport. With over a decade of experience covering the NFL, NBA, and European football, Richard specializes in breaking news, contract analysis, and hard-hitting sports commentary. Under his editorial direction, 234sport has grown into a premier destination for die-hard sports fans worldwide.
