Diego Costa will not be leaving Chelsea for Atletico, Antonio Conte insists

ESPN FC's Sid Lowe assesses the latest comments from Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo about Diego Costa's return.

Chelsea head coach Antonio Conte has insisted that Diego Costa is of "fundamental importance" to Chelsea and rejected reports that he could rejoin Atletico Madrid.
Atletico have publicly and persistently pursued a deal to bring Costa back to the Spanish capital for several months, but Chelsea have never wavered in their stance that their star striker is not for sale.
And Conte says that Costa is "very happy" as he works hard to get himself ready for the new Premier League season.
Reports in Spain this week suggested that Costa handed in a formal transfer request in a bid to force through a move back to the Vicente Calderon, and president Enrique Cerezo was subsequently quoted as saying that a deal was "close" -- though he later denied he made the comments in a statement issued to AS.
In a scheduled news conference to preview Chelsea's friendly clash with WAC RZ Pellets on Wednesday, Conte unequivocally dismissed the possibility of Costa leaving Stamford Bridge this summer.
"Diego Costa is our player, he's a fantastic player with fundamental importance," Conte insisted. "He's very happy and is working hard."
Sources have told ESPN FC that the constant speculation surrounding Costa's future is a cause of considerable frustration among senior officials at Chelsea, and on Tuesday the Daily Telegraph reported that Atletico's attempts to unsettle the player have soured the previously good relationship between the two clubs.