Chelsea agree Costa deal with Atleti

Chelsea have agreed to sell Diego Costa back to his former club Atletico Madrid for a £53m fee.

The deal is subject to the Spain international agreeing personal terms and passing a medical, and the 28-year-old will not be allowed to play for the La Liga side until January.

Costa has not played for the Blues this season after falling out with manager Antonio Conte last season, and was at home in his native Brazil when the Premier League season began in August.

The deal was complicated by Atleti's transfer embargo, a punishment which lasts until January 2018 and was imposed by Uefa for breaching rules over the transfer of foreign players under the age of 18.

"Chelsea Football Club has today agreed terms with Atletico Madrid for the transfer of Diego Costa," a Chelsea club statement confirmed.

"The transfer will be subject to the agreement of personal terms and a medical."

Costa had been linked with AC Milan and Paris Saint-Germain, but the player was determined to move back to his former club, with whom he won the Spanish League title in 2013-14 and reached the Champions League final the same year.

Costa joined Chelsea from Atletico for £32m in the summer of 2014 and was the team's top scorer in the Premier League-winning seasons of 2014/15 and 2016/17.

You can watch all of Chelsea’s Champions League campaign on the eir Sport package. Antonio Conte’s side will face Atletico Madrid, Qarabag and Roma in Group C. The Premier League champions' game against Atletico Madrid at Estadio Metropolitano on Wednesday, 26 September is live on eir Sport 1 [kick off 7.45pm]

Image: Getty Images/ Mike Hewitt

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