Avram Grant slams Antonio Conte and Chelsea for selling star striker Diego Costa

Avram Grant has slammed Antonio Conte for selling Diego Costa and says his departure goes some way to explaining Chelseas struggles this season.

Spanish striker Costa scored 22 goals in 42 games last season to help Chelsea win the Premier League and reach the FA Cup final.

But he fell out with Conte during the campaign and was then told via text that he no longer had a future at Stamford Bridge. He signed for Atletico Madrid in the summer.

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You should not release a striker like Diego Costa so easily and think that everything will be okay, Grant told Sky Sports.

Today the top teams do not release anybody. It is a new era because there is a lot of money in the game. It affects you.

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If you take Diego Costa away, you can see part of the reason why Chelsea has not been so successful this year.

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In Costas absence, Chelsea have fallen out of the top four this season and look set to miss out on next seasons Champions League.

This would have a significant impact on the clubs transfer business this summer, says Grant, who worked at Stamford Bridge a decade ago.

Of course it will affect them because the top players want to play in the Champions League, the Israeli manager added. But it is not the first time.

Chelsea was not there two years ago and even in the year that they won the Champions League they finished sixth in the Premier League.

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It is not the first time, of course, it will affect them but the most important thing is how they react. Until now, after they have had a bad season, Chelsea have reacted very well.

Grant also believes Conte should see out his contract at Chelsea, despite being strongly linked with a move at the end of the season.

He said: If I was in his shoes I would be desperate to have one more season to show everybody that I have the quality.

MORE: Arsenal make approach to sign Atletico star Saul Niguez

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