AC Milan in talks with Chelsea to beat Atletico Madrid to signing of Diego Costa

The Spain international was pushing to return to his former club

Costa has been told he has no future at Chelsea (Getty)

AC Milan have held talks with Chelsea over the signing of Diego Costa, the Italian giants’ CEO has confirmed.

Antonio Conte made certain that Costa would be leaving Stamford Bridge this summer with a blunt text message at the end of the season saying he would no longer be needed.

Costa scored 20 Premier League goals last season to help fire Conte’s side to the title in his first season in charge but it was his mid-season row with the striker over a proposed move to the Chinese Super League which made up the Italian’s mind about his future.

The Brazilian-born Spaniard wanted a return to Atletico Madrid despite the La Liga side’s transfer ban running until January but big-spending Milan have now stepped in to try and give the player a full season of first-team football in the lead-up to the World Cup next summer.

“I would prefer to avoid talking about players from other teams; Diego Costa is a great player, but a Chelsea player,” Milan CEO Marco Fassone told Sky Sports.

“We went to see [Costa's agent] Jorge Mendes; there is a lot you can talk to him about. Costa is a great player but he is of Chelsea. That's all.”