Diego Costa Says Antonio Conte Told Striker He Isn't in Chelsea's Plans

Chelsea star Diego Costa has told Spanish reporters that manager Antonio Conte has informed him he won't be part of his plans moving forward. 

Robbie Dunne of AS English shared some of the Spain international's comments, which he made after the 2-2 draw against Colombia on Wednesday:

It's a remarkable new development in a transfer saga that started last summer. As reported by BBC Sport, Costa said earlier this year he wanted to leave the Blues, but fortunately for the club, he didn't.

After a disappointing 2015-16 season, the former Atletico Madrid man bounced back in a big way. The 28-year-old scored 20 goals in the Premier League, playing a big role in the title run and keeping summer signing Michy Batshuayi on the bench in the process.

The timing of these latest comments is interesting, as plenty of rumours linking Everton's Romelu Lukaku with a return to Stamford Bridge have emerged recently. Bleacher Report's Dean Jones wondered about Costa's future when those rumours came to light:

As noted by Jones, former club Atletico isn't an option due to their transfer ban. Per Sky Sports, he's been linked with a move to China, but the striker might be too young to consider leaving Europe for a club in south-east Asia.