Chelsea have confirmed they have reached an agreement with Atletico Madrid for the sale of Diego Costa.
The Spaniard is heading back to his former club for a reported £53m after both clubs made the arrangement public.
It brings to an end a troubled spell for the marksman who went AWOL this summer.
He'd been told by boss Antonio Conte that he was surplus to requirements at the club.
Costa, who had two years remaining on his Chelsea contract, jetted to Brazil and defied attempts by the Premier League champions to force him to return.
Chelsea, in turn, insisted Costa’s conduct would not force them into backing down over the amount at which they valued him.
The club turned to £58million pitman Alvaro Morata from Real Madrid in a club record deal to end suggestions that there could be any way back for Costa.
Although Atletico cannot register him until January - the Spanish giants are under a transfer embargo - Costa will begin a specially-devised programme in readiness to help the club during the second half of the season.
Atletico have now confirmed that the striker will travel to Madrid in the coming days to undergo medical tests and to thrash out a contract with his former side, though the latter is expected to be little more than a formality.
His first game could be against Getafe on January 7.
"Atletico de Madrid and Chelsea have reached an initial agreement for the transfer of Diego Costa," the club said on their official website.
"The agreement is pending the formalization of the contract between our club and the Spanish international forward.
"The English club has authorized Diego Costa to travel to Madrid in the coming days to undergo medical tests and settle his contract with our club."
Spain boss Julen Lopetegui had urged Costa - who it’s believed has been holding out for a loyalty bonus from Chelsea - to sort out his future.
"Our hope is that he will resolve his situation as soon as possible and that he can compete, train and play, which is what he likes doing the most and what interests the national team,” Lopetegui said.
"It's rather complicated that a guy who doesn't train and doesn't play can be with us. But that's all it is," he said.
"He wasn't ready to play with us [against Italy and Liechtenstein], that was the reality and what we had to deal with. That is the reason why he wasn't with us.
"He needs to train and play in order to be considered.”
Costa's back-door Chelsea exit is a bitter end for the striker whose goals landed two titles in three seasons for the south-west Londoners.
Bought from Atletico for £32million three years ago, Costa hit 20 goals under Jose Mourinho to win the League in 2015.
After a dip the following year, he returned to form spectacularly under Conte last season to hit another 20 goals as Chelsea returned to the top.
Source: The Mirror.
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