Football
ESPN staff 7y

Diego Costa would only leave Chelsea for Atletico Madrid and rules out China

Diego Costa has said he would only leave Chelsea to join Atletico Madrid, while also confirming he has no interest in moving to China before the next World Cup.

The 28-year-old's future with Chelsea has been in doubt since a training-ground row with Blues boss Antonio Conte in January, and he had been linked to a big-money move to Tianjin Quanjian.

Costa also revealed earlier this season that he nearly returned last summer to Atletico, where he had spent four seasons before moving to Chelsea in 2014.

But the striker has two years left on his current Chelsea deal and said after Saturday's FA Cup final defeat that he had no plans to leave unless the club made it clear he was no longer wanted.

"There is only one team to go to if I have to leave Chelsea, there is only one," Costa told reporters. "I have no intention to leave, I'm good here, I have two years left. But if the club wants to sell me, I have made clear that there is only one club I would go."

He later confirmed he was speaking about Atletico, saying: "If the club intend to sell me in order to bring in another striker then obviously I will leave, but as I said there is only one club I'd leave for -- everyone knows the team I like -- Atletico? Yes, everybody knows this."

Tianjin Quanjian last week denied reports in the Spanish media that they had reached a preliminary agreement with Costa this summer, and the player confirmed this on Saturday by saying he would not risk his World Cup spot with Spain by moving to the Chinese Super League before 2018.

"I'm good, I'm good here. People talk too much about China. There's a World Cup and if I go to China I won't play it," Costa said.

"I will stay if I see the club and the manager wants to keep me. If they want to sell me to bring in another striker, I'll go but there is one club for me to go."

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