Costa was left out of Chelsea's squad for an away match against Leicester in January 2017 after reportedly being involved in a dispute with a fitness coach, which led to a heated row with Conte. It coincided with the striker being offered an incredible £30 million-a-season contract (€34.4m/$38m) from a Chinese Super League club, with Conte allegedly shouting "go to China" during their argument.
The transfer did not go through, however, and Costa was reintegrated into the first-team squad later in January, eventually helping the Blues win another league title. At the end of the season, Conte texted members of the Chelsea squad to wish them well for the summer break and reminded them to stay fit, with Costa sending a jokey reply back.
However, Conte followed up his initial message by adding: "Hi Diego, I hope you are well. Thanks for the season we spent together. Good luck for the next year but you are not in my plan."
A summer saga ensued and Costa eventually sealed a return to former club Atletico Madrid, although he couldn't play until January 2018 because of a transfer embargo the Spanish side had been placed under.
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