Diego Costa is not “above” Chelsea, according to former Blues midfielder
Gianfranco Zola.
Costa has been in superb form this season, scoring 14 goals to help fire Antonio Conte’s side to the top of the Premier League table.
But the Spaniard was dropped for last week’s victory over Leicester, having received a huge offer from Chinese Super League club Tianjin Quanjian.
Costa still wants to leave Chelsea, despite returning to first-team training earlier this week, with a return to Spain more likely than a move to the Far East, according to the London Evening Standard.
Zola, who is currently in charge of Birmingham City, believes Conte has a difficult choice to make in regards to Costa’s future but is adamant no player is bigger than the club itself.
“The club and manager have a hard decision there,” Zola told TalkSPORT.
“We are talking about a strong and inspirational player. I don’t know what the margins are to find an agreement.
“Obviously, I would try and find an agreement. But one thing is for sure, the club is always above everyone.
“It depends on what the manager and the club wants to do, but the club always has to be on top of everybody,” he added.
Chelsea coped well during Costa’s absence at the King Power Stadium, securing a 3-0 victory to maintain a seven-point cushion over their rivals.
The Blues host Hull City this weekend but it is unclear whether Conte will recall Costa or field Eden Hazard in a central role.
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