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We've lost a 20 goal per season forward but let's remember he played almost every minute of both our title-winning campaigns, so you'd expect him to score a few goals. Some will say the fact he played almost every minute proves how invaluable he was, and that's true to an extent, but there were other players who were more valuable. Diego Costa is replaceable, there are more prolific and better strikers out there and let's just hope we've signed one in Morata. I'm not saying Diego isn't top drawer I'm just saying there are better out there which is an undeniable fact. Let's not forget also he went through spells in every season with us when he went seriously off the boil, yet because he's such a high-maintenance player, he couldn't be dropped because his ego couldn't take it and it may have resulted in him losing interest, or worse than that, being a disruptive influence, something a manager wouldn't want to risk.
 
Look at Jose, he finally dropped him against Spurs at WHL and it was long overdue. Costa had a face like a slapped arse on the bench. Anyone remember his warm-up on the touchline during the second-half? He couldn't have looked less interested if he tried. Then of course there was the bib-throwing incident. It's telling that the only time Conte dropped him was at Leicester and he could cite a back injury as his reason, and against Spurs at Wembley when he conveniently also dropped Hazard, which I guess massaged Costa's ego as it made him believe he was as important to the team as Hazard and therefore was being rested for the league game. That was expert management by Conte. Costa needed to be dropped as he was playing so poorly but he had to find a way to do it that would keep the player onside and instil some belief. The only time Conte subbed Costa when we needed a goal was the Cup Final, which tells us everything we need to know. He didn't care about Costa's fragile ego at that point as he knew it was his last game and if he lost the player it mattered not a jot.
 
I imagine Costa is a very high-maintenance player to manage, particularly if he's not settled or truly happy, which he never really was at Chelsea. He's attention-seeking and self-centred in my opinion, and contrary to many people's view of him he actually tends to go missing in big games, because he's not quite as big and tough as he thinks he is. I said way before the season ended that Conte would get rid with relish as soon as he could. Conte being the arch pragmatist kept him onside by the skin of his teeth in order to win the title but as soon as he got his chance he cut ties. We needed Costa to win those titles, yes we did, mainly because we didn't have adequate replacements, but now we do, and I really won't miss him one bit. 
 
I won't miss all the nonsense, on the pitch and off it, and I won't miss all his pining for Atletico. I won't miss him punching teammates in training nor arguing with teammates on the pitch in crucial games. I imagine his act can grate a bit after a while behind the scenes. It might be fun at first but after a while I bet the management feel like they're having to mollycoddle a toddler, because that's what he appears to be, a child inside a man's body, a man who's yet to grow up.
 
Conte texted him, I've no doubt of that, but what's telling is that Costa squealed to the press immediately, whereas when Costa threw his dummy out the pram in January the manager kept it all in-house and only spoke highly of the player. In January it would have been apparent to Conte Costa wanted out. Everybody knew Costa wanted out, he even waved goodbye to the SB crowd in his last home game. He was the one that was angling for a move, and yet, as soon as Conte texted him he went squealing, trying to portray himself as the victim. This is the guy that was seduced by China midway through our title challenge and this is the guy who's been pining for Atletico since he arrived. He likes to play big and tough but really when it boils down to it he's just a big girl's blouse, running to the press as fast as he can possibly can.
 
Diego, it's been entertaining, I'll give you that. There's been goals and there's been good performances aplenty. Don't let the door slap your arse on the way out.