Diego Costa 'hands in transfer request' at Chelsea, and planning to fight his way out?

Costa was a sensation in his first season with the Blues after arriving for £32m in 2014, his goals largely responsible for firing Chelsea to the title that season.

But in common with most of his team-mates he struggled in the last campaign, and according to Spain's Sport he is now desperate to return to former club Atletico Madrid.

"It's an open secret that Diego Costa wants to quit Chelsea," the paper reports, adding that, "The Spanish-Brazilian player has formally presented his transfer request to Chelsea in order that he can begin negotiating his future with Atletico."

However, the report continues that Chelsea manager Antonio Conte is determined not to let the player leave, something which has apparently annoyed Costa further.

Sport goes on to claim that Costa's feisty display in Saturday's pre-season friendly - in which he tangled with an opponent and faced down the referee - is his way of "pressuring" Chelsea into letting him go by "reminding the club that he can create conflict".

It's a tempting idea, to suggest that Diego Costa will keep on starting fights in pre-season until he gets the transfer move he wants.

But then you think back over the 27-year-old's tumultuous two years at the Blues, and remember that (a) he's never needed an excuse to get involved in a fight before; and (b) Chelsea have never shown any sign of wanting to get rid of him because of his antagonism.