Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has revealed that the decision to sell Spain international Diego Costa in this summer's transfer window was made in January.
Costa scored 20 times in Chelsea's 2016-17 Premier League title-winning campaign, but the 28-year-old is said to have had a strained relationship with Conte in the second half of the season.
Last month, Costa revealed that Conte had told him to leave Stamford Bridge this summer, and their relationship is said to be beyond repair following a leaked video of the centre-forward seemingly 'mocking' his manager earlier this week.
Conte has claimed that Costa's situation "was very clear" in January, and the matter is now "closed" as the former Atletico Madrid striker prepares to move on.
"I don't to like to talk about players that don't stay here, but the only thing I can tell you [is] in January, the Costa situation was very clear, for the club, for him and his agent," Conte told reporters. "For me the situation is closed."
Chelsea are on the verge of bringing Real Madrid forward Alvaro Morata to Stamford Bridge after agreeing a deal with the Spanish and European champions.
Matt Law
