Former Chelsea assistant warns Diego Costa
Costa helped the Blues win the Premier League title last season, but in a surprise move, the fiery Italian manager Antonio Conte informed Costa that he was surplus to requirements via text message.
Since then, Costa has exiled himself from the club, refusing to return to training, as he has been cast out of first team training.
Clarke feels that the club may refuse to sell the player, if pursues his behaviour, saying, “At the moment Costa is making it difficult for himself. He hasn’t gone back to the club, he’s not training, he’s not earning his money.
“I think Chelsea have got the financial power to make him see out the rest of his contract.
“If Costa doesn’t want to come back in and honour his deal, then Chelsea have got the financial power to say, ‘ok, you’ll sit for two years and not play’.
“But that’s not an ideal situation for anybody.
“I think they need to get all the parties together, sit them down and thrash out some kind of a solution that’s best for everybody – even if it’s a short-term one.
Jacque Talbot
Follow: @Jac_talbot