The rumours linking Diego Costa with a move away from Chelsea do not seem to be going away even after the appointment of Antonio Conte.

The striker has been linked with an imminent return to Atletico Madrid, where he became a legend in the last few years. Costa was a major factor in helping Chelsea lift the league title in the 2014-15 season, but he had a very poor season the last time around. His poor form was especially pronounced in the first half of the season when José Mourinho was the manager. Incredibly, Costa’s form including dramatically after Mourinho was sacked and Guus Hiddink was appointed.

The patchy form for the Spaniard in the last two seasons may have been one of the reasons, while language issues have also been spoken about. Costa has scored 36 goals in the last two campaigns, which is a good return for someone who cost only £ 30 million. At 27 years of age, the striker still has plenty to offer for the club if he manages to strike good form. After having been an extended holiday due to Euro 2016, Costa was seen only towards the latter end of the Chelsea’s pre-season. It remains highly doubtful if he would start the game against West Ham on Monday night.

Conte claimed that he wanted more from the striker despite his recent good form in friendlies.“He always shows a great passion. I am the same.He doesn’t want to lose and I like this. I think it is important to have this passion for your work, for football. It helps you to overcome difficulties. I demand this from him.Diego Costa is a great player and I know that he is a fantastic finisher.I think that Diego can improve still a lot,” said Conte.