Chelsea star will choose love or money according to Antonio Conte

LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 04: Antonio Conte, manager of Chelsea shakes hands with Diego Costa of Chelsea after the Premier League match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on February 4, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 04: Antonio Conte, manager of Chelsea shakes hands with Diego Costa of Chelsea after the Premier League match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge on February 4, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) /
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Chelsea star Diego Costa has an interesting choice in front of him

If you believe everything Antonio Conte says, then Diego Costa really does love Chelsea. I guess that means the controversial striker will be forced to choose between love and money this summer.

The Chelsea manager unequivocally stated his opinion that Conte loves his current club on BBC yesterday. You’ll have to forgive most neutral fans if they’re surprised at this revelation. It was just a few short weeks ago that Costa was training alone after a high-profile bust up with his stern manager.

To his credit, he made a quick return to the first team and has been an excellent player for most of the season. His goal scoring acumen is a big reason why Conte’s squad find themselves nine points ahead of Spurs atop the Premier League table.

Even with the current good feelings flying around Stamford Bridge, it’s hard to imagine Costa staying with the club much past this season. He was strongly linked with a lucrative move to China during the January window and those suitors will likely reappear during the summer. Given Costa’s age and temperament, most believe Chelsea will listen to those offers at the very least.

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Ultimately, Costa will likely have the ability to make the choice for himself. If he truly commits himself to Conte and the club for the remainder of this season, the former Italy boss would surely welcome him back next season. Again, he’s a nightmare for opposing Premier League defenders.

It’s quite possible that Costa might be content to win another Premier League title and then ride off into the East Asian sunset. He doesn’t strike me as a player who’s desperate to keep up his top form as age starts to wear him down. Costa would see a lot of appeal in heading to China to engage in a sort of semi-retirement. Becoming one of the highest paid football players in the world wouldn’t hurt either.

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This summer, Diego Costa is going to face the age-old choice between love and money. Will he stick with the club he loves or move to far off lands for untold riches? As usual, follow the money. Expect Costa to be speaking fluent Chinese by this time next year.