Costa tells Atletico: Prove you want me or I will go elsewhere

Diego Costa has told Atletico Madrid: Show Chelsea how much you want me or I will join another club.

The Spain striker has told Atletico he wants to join them after Chelsea made it clear they do not want him any more.

And he told ESPN Brasil that while the two clubs continue to haggle over Costa’s valuation, he is growing impatient that the Spanish club don’t seem to want him as much as he wants them.

He said: “I’ve demonstrated I care for Atletico and have interest in playing for them. But if Atletico and Chelsea don’t come to an agreement and Atletico don’t make a big effort, I can’t keep on wanting to play for a club that isn’t going to make a bigger effort to try and sign me.

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“I know that this [big effort] will happen, but if it’s to pay the amount that Chelsea want it won’t be possible.

“What I know is that this offer Chelsea will get is bigger than what they paid [when they signed Costa from Atletico for £32m in July 2014], so I’ve given them something back in all senses [sporting and financial].”

Costa added: “When we heard that [Antonio] Conte didn’t want me anymore, my agent went to find out if there was interest from Atletico [Madrid] for me coming back. Of course for the warmth and respect that I earned there, they showed interest. But they wouldn’t pay a fortune. Atletico is a team growing every year, a big team, but they can’t pay an extraordinary amount.

“Chelsea have offered me to several clubs but I was very clear with them. I said that if I’m not part of the manager’s plans, I would like to choose my destination. I’m not going to let them decide just to get more money.

“When I came to Chelsea they paid a lot less compared to what’s being offered to them. I think they should take into account everything that I’ve done. It’s not my fault that I’m not at the club. If it was down to me I’d be playing.”

Costa also insisted that the breakdown between him and Chelsea was not his fault. He added:

“People at the club called me before [earlier in the summer] to give me extra holidays to not have contact with the manager.

“I was always meant to turn up with the group, but they were already saying that I’m going to have to come back and train with the reserves. I said that this was a lack of respect. We won the league and I haven’t done anything so serious to deserve being treated in that way.

“It won’t be the same as before [between him and Conte], and we don’t know if the fight for the position will be fair. Because of me having exposed the [text] message I understand that he’ll be annoyed, so if I go back I have to see if things would be clean, just and correct.”