LONDON. – Antonio Conte has laughed off Diego Costa’s latest outburst at Chelsea, and insists the striker is “the past”.

Costa urged Chelsea not to price him out of a move to Atletico Madrid yesterday, as he continues to refuse to return to London to train with the Blues.

Conte, who reportedly told Costa he is not wanted at the club by text message, was left in hysterics at the forward’s plea for Chelsea to lower their transfer fee demands and indicated the player is no longer in his thinking.

“It is great,” Conte joked, when asked about the interview. “I can tell you that everyone who works in Chelsea knows very well what happened with him last season. It’s funny, this interview.

“I’m not interested to continue this issue. For me, he’s the past.”

Chelsea’s media team interrupted Conte’s Press conference following his remarks, insisting the club’s position remains that Costa should return to London to report back for training.

Costa has accused the club of pricing him out of a move back to Atletico Madrid in his continuing stand-off with manager Conte.

The Spanish international is determined to rejoin former side Atletico despite the Spanish La Liga club being subject to a transfer ban preventing them from registering players until January.

Costa has not played for Chelsea since the FA Cup final in May, following which he says Conte sent him a text telling him he was not in his plans for the new season.

Chelsea say that was made clear to him as early as January.

He has accused the Premier League club of treating him like a “criminal” and has said he was willing to see out the remaining two years of his deal unpaid in Brazil. – Reuters.

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