Diego Costa’s peace talks Diego Costa
Diego Costa

Diego Costa

LONDON. — Diego Costa is ready to begin peace talks with Chelsea in a bid to save his World Cup hopes.

The Chelsea striker suffered a major blow on Friday when the move to Atletico Madrid he has been pushing for collapsed at the last moment, with the two clubs unable to agree a fee.

Costa has also not been included in Chelsea’s squad for the Champions League group stages. The striker has been in a stand-off with Chelsea throughout the summer, having claimed Antonio Conte told him he is not part of his plans at Stamford Bridge and refusing to return from his native Brazil to resume training at the club.

Costa failed to secure a move away from Chelsea before last week’s transfer deadline passed, but the forward is not in the Blues’ 25-player selection allowance.

The 32-year-old has openly expressed his desire to return to former club Atletico Madrid, but the Spanish club only offered half of the £50m Chelsea asked for to allow him to leave.

Atletico are banned from registering new players before January and were reluctant to pay Costa’s £150 000 a week wages before he can play for them. New £70m striker Alvaro Morata is included in Chelsea’s Champions League squad, alongside summer signings Danny Drinkwater, Davide Zappacosta, Antonio Rudiger, Willy Caballero and Tiemoue Bakayoko.

Costa, who is still back home in Brazil having refused to return to Chelsea since the end of last season, is now in limbo, with Atletico wanting him to settle his dispute with Chelsea to allow a deal to happen in January.

But in what would be a major climbdown, Costa is considering a reconciliation with Chelsea, and is being urged by close friends to return to England to settle his affairs with the club.

A source close to the Costa camp told Express Sport on Sunday night: “There will have to be a reconciliation between Diego and Chelsea. “Diego will have to come back to England, because he does not want his career to end with him back in Brazil like this.”

Costa is also being told by those close to him to consider dropping the legal action he has begun against Chelsea for the way the club have handled the affair.

A friend said on Sunday night: “Diego has no grounds to sue Chelsea. But Chelsea do have grounds to sue Diego.”

Costa’s stand-off with Chelsea began with a text from manager Antonio Conte at the end of last season telling him he was not in the club’s plans for this season.

Since then he has remained at home in Lagarto in Brazil, working with a personal trainer while ignoring Chelsea’s demand that he return to England to get fit and be available for selection.

Chelsea have been subjecting the striker to fines for the period when he has been absent, and the club are looking into legal action themselves against Costa for breach of contract.

The club named Costa in their 25-man Premier League squad on Friday, which means they cannot be accused of preventing him from playing. But Conte is adamant his Chelsea career is over.

Costa desperately wants to play in next summer’s World Cup for Spain, and to do that he needs to be fit and playing.

Atletico could have signed the 28-year-old last week, but cannot play him until January because of a FIFA transfer ban. However, even if a deal can be sorted in January with Chelsea, Costa will need to be fit to play straight away – which means he needs to start his pre-season training very soon if he is to have any chance.

Full Chelsea Champions League squad

 Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois, Willy Caballero, Eduardo

Defenders: Davide Zappacosta, Victor Moses, Cesar Azpilicueta, David Luiz, Jake Clarke-Salter, Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen, Gary Cahill, Marcos Alonso, Kenedy.

Midfielders: N’Golo Kante, Kyle Scott, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Cesc Fabregas, Danny Drinkwater, Charly Musonda Jnr, Pedro, Willian, Eden Hazard.

Forwards: Michy Batshuayi, Alvaro Morata

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