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Antonio Conte, Diego Costa talks 'planned for next week'

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 15 January 2017

Conte, Costa talks 'planned for next week'

A report claims that Antonio Conte is desperate to keep Diego Costa at Chelsea until at least the end of the season, with talks planned for early next week.

Antonio Conte will reportedly hold face-to-face talks with striker Diego Costa on Tuesday in an attempt to keep him at Chelsea beyond the end of the winter transfer window.

The Spain international was left out of the Blues' squad to face Leicester City on Saturday evening due to a reported training-ground dispute with a member of the club's backroom staff.

Costa is said to have grown disillusioned at Stamford Bridge after being made an offer to become the world's highest-paid player in the Chinese Super League, but Conte claimed after the 3-0 win in the Midlands that speculation over the 28-year-old's future is wide of the mark.

According to Sky Sports News, Conte told Costa to "go to China" following the falling out last week, but the former Juventus chief is desperate to keep his star striker on board until at least the end of the season when an adequate replacement can be brought in.

It is claimed that the Premier League's joint-top scorer is after £300,000 a week, however, despite having two-and-a-half years still left to run on his current deal.