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Chelsea's Antonio Conte and Diego Costa to hold talks on Tuesday

Chelsea's Brazilian-born Spanish striker Diego Costa (R) celebrates with Chelsea's Italian head coach Antonio Conte after the English Premier League footba
Image: Antonio Conte and Diego Costa are due to meet for talks this week

Antonio Conte will hold talks with Diego Costa at Chelsea's training ground on Tuesday, according to Sky sources.

The Premier League's top scorer was left out of the squad for Saturday's win at Leicester, officially with a back injury but against the backdrop of a £30m-a-year offer from the Chinese Super League.

Tianjin Quanjian are the interested club, and sources say a row between the striker and his manager in the week ended with Conte telling Costa to "go to China".

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Chelsea boss Antonio Conte claims striker Diego Costa missed the 3-0 win over Leicester because of a back injury

It is understood Costa's representatives are now asking Chelsea to double his wages to £300,000 despite the two-and-a-half years remaining on his current contract, although one source insists he is happy at Stamford Bridge.

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Leicester 0-3 Chelsea

Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will not consider selling the player this month, according to sources, and talks between Costa and Conte will take place at Cobham this week.

Costa, whose 14 league goals have helped Chelsea build a seven-point lead at the top, posted an Instagram message ahead of weekend wishing his team-mates good luck at Leicester.

The result went their way as wing-back Marcos Alonso scored twice before Pedro, nominally Chelsea's striker on the day in Costa's absence, added a third goal.

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Conte said afterwards: "I think it's important to have another plan, to play without a No 9 is another solution. It is important. To have a different solution is important for me and for the team."

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