Atletico are refusing to meet Chelsea’s £35 million valuation of Costa, who will not consider joining another team

Chelsea are fearful that Diego Costa’s apparent weight gain during his long summer holiday in Brazil could reduce his transfer value.

The Spain striker has been given permission to stay away from training as he has been told that he can leave and is locked in a legal dispute with the club, with his lawyer, Ricardo Cardoso, last week threatening to use “all possible legal mechanisms” to force through a transfer to Atletico Madrid.

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In addition to the stand-off, Chelsea are growing concerned that Costa’s party lifestyle in Brazil could make him unsellable, or at least significantly reduce his value. With communication between the two having broken down, the club have taken to monitoring Costa’s Instagram account, on which he posts pictures of his activities,