Diego Costa set for Chelsea exit: Man United, Liverpool or Arsenal keen?

Chelsea have been rocked by news that Diego Costa appears to have played his last game for the club.

Costa, on international duty for Spain in their 2-2 draw with Colombia on Wednesday, claimed after the game that Chelsea boss Antonio Conte has said the striker can leave Stamford Bridge.

The Brazil-born striker had been linked heavily with a move to Atletico Madrid but their transfer ban may have shelved that plan for now.

So, where could he go -- and would he suit one of Chelsea's Premier League rivals?

ESPN FC's club bloggers and correspondents give their verdict on whether Costa would fit in at their club.

CHELSEA

Given the controversy that seems to continually surround Costa and that he seems to operate just one fit of pique away from a lengthy suspension, it is not impossible to see why Conte might be seeking alternative options. Factor in the the well-publicised training ground spat between the two in January and the intervening months have seemed like a marriage of convenience.

That said, Costa's contribution to two title winning campaigns in the last three seasons should not be underestimated. His deluge of goals upon signing in 2014 got Chelsea off to a flying start from which they held their challengers at bay while last season his goals and performances before Christmas led many neutrals to tout him for the player of the year awards.

Costa is clearly a difficult character to work with and he appears in a constant state of disillusionment. But while both player and club might be keen to cut their ties, it is Chelsea that are more likely to be left yearning for what they have lost. -- Phil Lythell

TOTTENHAM

No, absolutely not.

Tottenham already have the best striker in the Premier League in Harry Kane but even if he left or got injured, the club would be looking for a replacement with the exact opposite human qualities to the combustible Costa.

While the his goals helped Chelsea to another league title (and he appears to be a likeable character off the pitch), Costa is a troublemaker who craves being the centre of attention. Mauricio Pochettino's success at Tottenham has been built with a squad of players who have full faith in the manager and his project, and all of whom are playing for each other, in the knowledge they could comfortably double their money elsewhere.

Signing Costa would not only be unnecessary, it would jeopardise all the impressive work done by Pochettino at the club. -- Dan Kilpatrick

MAN UNITED

It would be daft of United if they weren't interested in Costa. He's exactly the type of striker they're looking for -- strong, physical, aggressive -- and on top of that, he's proven in the Premier League.

It sounds like he's available from Chelsea, although it's debatable whether Conte would want his main scorer heading to Old Trafford, even if he is surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge. That, though, is out of United's control. If he's on the move, they should at least put themselves in the mix.

The same would go for any of the league's best forwards, whether it's Sergio Aguero or Alexis Sanchez. Jose Mourinho might feel the Costa isn't worth the trouble after seeing the worst of the Spaniard during the final months of his second spell at Chelsea. But he's the type of player fans hate -- unless he's on your team.

That alone would suggests he would fit in well at United under Mourinho. -- Rob Dawson

MAN CITY

It is easy to take the moral high ground and say that Costa's antics would not fit in at your own club, but the truth is he is an extremely effective performer, both in his scoring, forward play and the darker arts of provocation and general skulduggery.

With City well-stocked in the forward positions, there is little use for a striker of his kind, especially as he is as far removed from the typical Pep Guardiola mould for a position that sometimes scarcely exists in the Catalan's mind as could be imagined.

Costa has been a good servant to Chelsea, if a little erratic and troublesome. There are not many around who can guarantee you a steady flow of goals and a strong presence at the point of the attack. If his type existed as a centre-half, maybe City would be tempted to put a sneaky bid in for him. -- Simon Curtis

LIVERPOOL

Liverpool were the only club in the top seven without a prolific striker so if there was an opportunity to land Costa, they should go for it. He's a player opposing fans love to hate, but everyone wants a player like Costa in their team. He's proven quality and he's a winner. Some of his antics often leave much to be desired but it's easy to overlook that when he's scoring over 20 goals a season.

Liverpool tried to pair Costa with Luis Suarez in the summer of 2013 (the mind boggles at how that might have turned out!) but the striker opted to stay in Spain and then joined Chelsea a year later.

In light of their spectacular own goal with Virgil van Dijk, if the Reds could somehow acquire Costa that would go some way towards redeeming themselves in the eyes of the fans. -- Dave Usher

ARSENAL

Arsenal fans loathe few players more than Costa, but that doesn't change the fact he'd be perfect for the Gunners in many ways. A physical scoring machine with a nasty streak is many ways exactly what Arsenal need.

Whether they need Costa's antics and off-pitch drama is another story entirely. But Arsene Wenger wanted to buy Suarez despite his Liverpool controversies, so perhaps he thinks he could tame Costa as well.

There's no doubt Costa would make Arsenal a better team, but there's a serious risk he would unsettle the dressing room as well. So it's hard to imagine Wenger giving serious pursuit. -- Mattias Karen

SOURCE;ESPN