Chelsea striker Diego Costa has told friends he has no interest in accepting a lucrative offer from the Chinese Super League in January despite being dropped by Antonio Conte for Saturday's game at Leicester City, sources close to the player have told ESPN Brasil.
Costa, 28, trained alone at Cobham for three days and did not travel to the King Power Stadium with the rest of the squad after becoming embroiled in a heated argument with a fitness coach over an injury and being punished by Conte.
The clash occurred against the backdrop of a lucrative offer from a Chinese Super League club for Costa in recent days, but sources close to the player said he does not intend to follow Oscar and John Obi Mikel to China.
Chelsea declined to comment on the matter on Friday, but a photograph posted on Costa's official Instagram account was accompanied by the caption "Come on Chelsea!"
A photo posted by Diego Costa (@diego.costa) on
Costa's contract runs until June 2019 and while Chelsea were reportedly keen to tie down their star striker to an extension prior to the recent dispute, there is a determination among the club hierarchy to hold him to the remainder of his deal.
Speaking last month as Oscar prepared to complete a £60 million move from Chelsea to Shanghai SIPG, Conte described the massive offers being made by Chinese Super League clubs as a "danger" to all of world football.
Despite Atletico Madrid's public pursuit of Costa last summer, Chelsea never wavered in their stance that he was not for sale.