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Chelsea show they’re determined to sell Diego Costa in January

By Rucker Haringey

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 27: Diego Costa of Chelsea celebrates scoring his sides first goal during the Emirates FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on May 27, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 27: Diego Costa of Chelsea celebrates scoring his sides first goal during the Emirates FA Cup Final between Arsenal and Chelsea at Wembley Stadium on May 27, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) /
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Diego Costa won’t remain at Chelsea all season

Eden Hazard and quite a few Chelsea teammates may want to see Diego Costa return to Stamford Bridge, but the club clearly aren’t interested in a sensational reunion. The Blues have taken concrete steps that make it clear they want to part with Costa during the January transfer window.

The biggest sign from the club was the omission of Costa from their Champions League squad. Instead, Antonio Conte has opted to only include two out-and-out strikers in his group stage roster. On the surface, it seemed very possible that Costa would be included in the squad even if he was unlikely to play.

After all, Chelsea did see fit to include Costa in their 25 man Premier League squad. That begs the obvious question of why the Blues didn’t do the same for their Champions League group?

The answer is very simple. Leaving Costa out of the Champions League squad ensures he won’t be cup tied for the prestigious competition. That means a club involved in Champions League football can buy Costa in January and utilize him in the knockout stage. In other words, Chelsea have made sure Atletico Madrid can purchase the enigmatic striker in January and utilize him in every possible competition.

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If you think that’s a bluff from Chelsea, think again. Nothing is more important to Antonio Conte and Roman Abramovich than the club’s ability to advance deep into the competition. If they believed it was possible that Costa would return and boost their chances, they would have happily named him to the squad. Their failure to do so makes it obvious that a January sale is still their primary objective.

It’s still possible that Costa could return to Stamford Bridge for a bit of Premier League play. Putting him in the shop window for a few games of domestic competition could prove profitable for the Blues. Without seeing him on the pitch, his value will be depressed due to understandable concerns about his fitness level. There’s no way to counter those concerns other than seeing him play competitive football.

Next: Eden Hazard questions Chelsea's summer moves

Nonetheless, Costa’s omission from the Champions League squad proves that his days at Chelsea are numbered. Any appearance he makes for the club moving forward will be designed to increase his January transfer price. The possibility of a full return to the club is impossible as long as Antonio Conte remains in charge.

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