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Diego Costa’s agent spotted meeting chairman: Chelsea star could be sold for £80m
DIEGO COSTA’s Chelsea future has been cast into further doubt after his agent Jorge Mendes was spotted with the chairman of Chinese Super League club Tianjin Quanjian.
Jermaine Jenas: Lukaku could replace Costa at Chelsea
Express Sport understands Diego Costa could be about to move to China after being offered a staggering £576,000-a-week deal.
He has been dropped from the squad travelling to today’s 5.30pm clash at Leicester, apparently over a row about his fitness.
And a transfer may follow, with super-agent Mendes in China supposedly seeking a deal.
Mendes met Shu Yuhui and presented the chairman of Tianjin with a signed Cristiano Ronaldo shirt.
Chelsea had been planning to offer Costa, who was a £32million buy from Atletico Madrid in 2014, a new contract.
Manager Antonio Conte has stuck by the 28-year-old this season and has been rewarded with 14 goals in the Premier League so far.
Diego Costa's agent Jorge Mendes (right) has met with Tianjin's chairman
Chelsea have excluded Costa from their squad to face Leicester today
Jorge Mendes is one of the top football agents in the world
But the temptation to cash in on Costa - especially after his training ground row with the manager - could see the player move to the Far East.
Costa will be offered a £30m-a-year deal in China, making him one of the best-paid players on the planet.
His current £150,000-a-week contract at Chelsea expires in 2019 - but the Blues cannot match the offer from Tianjin even if they agree to bump up his wages.
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