Diego Costa 'agrees China move' as Chelsea identify Real Madrid star Alvaro Morata as replacement

Chelsea striker Diego Costa has 'already agreed terms' to complete a move to the Chinese Super League at the end of the season, according to Cadena Ser. The Spanish radio station adds that Antonio Conte has already identified Alvaro Morata as his replacement but the current Real Madrid star has also received a tempting offer to return to Serie A instead.

Costa's future at Stamford Bridge was also under big scrutiny during the recent January transfer window after missing the 3-0 victory over Leicester City following reports of a row with Conte over his fitness – and after Tianjin Quanjian confirmed they want to lure the Spaniard to the Chinese Super League.

The owner of the Chinese outfit, Shu Yuhui, revealed that his club made an offer to sign Costa only days before that row, although suggesting that they will not make a new move for the Chelsea top scorer in the summer.

"I made an appointment with Mendes and he came to my hometown to visit me. At that time, we were interested in signing Costa. PSG told us [Edinson] Cavani would only be allowed to leave in June, even though the player himself was willing to join us." Shu said. "The same can be said for Costa because Chelsea would only let him leave in June. However, the new season of the Chinese Super League will almost reach the halfway stage in June, we can't wait so long."

But Cadena Ser popular radio show El Larguero is now reporting that Costa will move to China in the summer "unless a miracle happens."

The Spanish radio station doesn't specified whether Tianjin Quanjian will be his destination but added that the offer is the same that he had in January, said to worth €30m-a-year (£25.8m, $32.2m) in salary for the player and €85m for Chelsea.

The 28-year-old is reportedly "tired of London and Chelsea" and believes that his desire to join Atletico Madrid passed last summer when the Blues blocked his return to the Vicente Calderon.

Cadena Ser adds that Chelsea boss Antonio Conte is already aware about Costa's departure and has already made moves to fill his gap with the signing of Real Madrid star Morata.

The Italian boss' interest in the other Spanish striker is not new either as Morata himself confirmed earlier in September that the Blues already tried to lure him to Stamford Bridge in a deal which would have make him the most expensive Spanish footballer ever – surpassing the €58m move of Fernando Torres' from Liverpool to Stamford Bridge in 2011.

"Chelsea showed the most interest," Morata confirmed as quoted by ESPN. "Antonio Conte had already signed me for Juventus. And it was a very good offer this time. I would have been the most expensive Spanish player ever. They offered roughly (€70m but Real Madrid) said that they have me in their plans, and that was always a dream of mine."

Conte was already the man who brought the Spaniard to Juventus in the summer of 2014, although the Italian did not work with the player as he resigned from his post at La Vecchia Signora just days later.

The Italian boss tried to sign him for Chelsea in the summer and Cadena Ser claims that the Italian boss "still speaks almost every week with the Spaniard" by phone.

El Larguero adds that Morata is likely to leave Real Madrid in the summer but Chelsea face a stiff competition from an unnamed Italian club – which is not necessarily Juventus. Morata is about to get married with an Italian girl he met during his spell at Juventus and Cadena Ser suggests that this fact could help the Serie A club to beat Chelsea for his services.