Incoming Chelsea manager Antonio Conte will look to build the team around Diego Costa next season, according to Marca.
Chelsea are yet to officially announce Conte as Guus Hiddink’s successor at the end of the season but there is a firm agreement on the table for him to take charge after his contract expires with Italy after the Euros this summer.
And the Italian is determined to make keeping Costa one of his top priorities this season as he wants to build the team around him at Stamford Bridge next season.
Costa, 27, has been heavily linked with a return to Atletico Madrid this season and there is a theory that his wild behaviour has been in an attempt to force a move back to Spain.
The Spain international was sent off against Everton in the FA Cup earlier this month for the first time in England and it was his first red card since December 2012 (Atletico vs Viktoria Plzen).
However, before that, Costa had played a direct hand in 17 goals (11 goals, 6 assists) in his previous 15 matches in all competitions when he had contributed to five goals (four goals, one assist) in his first 21 matches of the season prior to that.
For more stats on Diego Costa, click here to visit his WhoScored player page
