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Conte plans to keep hold of Costa

Reuters

To see a list of completed deals in the summer window thus far, visit theScore's Premier League transfer tracker.

London - Chelsea manager Antonio Conte insisted Tuesday he has no intention of letting Spain striker Diego Costa leave the Premier League club.

Costa, 27, has been linked with a return to former club Atletico Madrid after a troubled second season in England.

Conte's decision to sign Belgium striker Michy Batshuayi from Marseille increased speculation the temperamental Costa may be allowed to quit Stamford Bridge.

But Conte, who officially took charge of Chelsea earlier this month after finishing his role as Italy coach at Euro 2016, is determined to keep Costa, whose goals propelled the Blues to the Premier League title under Jose Mourinho in 2015.

"Diego is our player. He is a fantastic player, a player with a fundamental importance and there is no problem," Conte told Chelsea's website.

"He stays with us, he is working very hard, he is very happy to work with his team-mates and with me in the new idea of football. He is a Chelsea player.

"He is an important player, a very strong player, one of the best in the world, and I am sure when he goes into our ideas he will score a lot of goals for us."

Chelsea faces WAC RZ Pellets in a friendly on Wednesday having lost its opening match under Conte to another Austrian side Rapid Vienna over the weekend.

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