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LONDON. — Diego Costa is set to be rewarded with a bumper new contract to keep him at Chelsea until the end of his playing days. Spain international Costa is enjoying the best form of his life, with 13 goals that have fired the Blues to the top of the English Premier League and made him one of the top strikers in the world. Chelsea are determined to give the 28-year-old a fresh deal — likely to be a two-year extension — which will see him stay at Stamford Bridge until 2021.

Costa signed a five-year deal worth £150 000-a-week when he joined from Atletico Madrid for £32m in 2014, but that will now be pushed closer to £200 000-a-week.

Atletico have tried to re-sign him and Costa’s future looked uncertain last summer, but he has been transformed this season under new manager Antonio Conte. Costa, who has scored six goals in his last eight games, has also cleaned up his disciplinary act.

He went 10 games without even a yellow card before finally being cautioned in Saturday’s win at Crystal Palace, earning him a suspension for the Boxing Day match against Bournemouth.

There is a will at Chelsea to tie down one of their prize assets as it is clear he is enjoying life at the club and has also worked hard at his all-round game. That has made Costa one of the hottest properties in the world as his goals and performances have made Chelsea the title favourites.

Meanwhile, Frnak Lampard is confident Chelsea will win the Premier League — as long as they can keep their key players fit. Antonio Conte’s side will top the table over Christmas after building a six-point lead over their nearest challengers.

They have won 11 straight games in the league and are favourites to extend that against Bournemouth and Stoke City over the festive period. And Lampard, who won the league three times with Chelsea, believes the chasing pack have a tough task catching the leaders.

“(Man) City are in a decent position,” Lampard told Sky Sports. “And there are teams with quality for sure — City, I think Liverpool are very good to watch this year, and Arsenal.

“I think those will be the group chasing but with Chelsea, when you take that kind of a gap into Christmas, I think barring suspensions or injuries to top players like (Eden) Hazard and (Diego) Costa, I fancy them to carry it through.”

He added: “As a Chelsea man it is great to see, all credit to everybody there. “The manager obviously changed the system after a defeat at Arsenal. Nobody would have fancied them to be anywhere near winning the league at that point and now they look the dominant team. “I don’t like to tempt fate but I can’t see anyone who has got the consistency to close the gap, so I fancy Chelsea strongly now.” — The Daily Mail.