Chelsea Legend Zola Insists Blues Were Right to Sell Diego Costa: 'He Has a Problem'

Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola believes that Chelsea are justified in their decision to sell Diego Costa to Atletico Madrid.

The Spaniard officially completed a move to his old club on Tuesday, after being frozen out by manager Antonio Conte, who reportedly informed the striker by text that he wasn't a part of his plans this season.

The timeline of events saw Costa relocate to his birthplace of Brazil over the summer, with Chelsea eventually wanting him to return to training, which he never did.

The 29-year-old has shown the good, the bad and the ugly over the past three seasons, but Zola insists the time was right to cash in.

Speaking on The Debate, he said, as quoted by ​Sky Sports: "I have no doubt that it was right for him to go. He probably has a problem, the team is not made by one player, and I think it's better for him to go.

"On the temporal level [Alvaro] Morata is not on the same level as Costa. Technically he is a great player, he obviously has a lot of qualities, good in the air, good feet.

"He has been with Juventus, Real Madrid, big teams, but didn't play regularly, and I want to find out why. And this year I think I'm going to get the answers."

Summer signing from Real Madrid Morata has so far eased any fears Blues fans might have had about missing Costa - he has hit sevens goals in his first eight games, including a hat-trick against Stoke last weekend.

Costa - who will register as an Atleti player in January - was present at the club's new Wanda Metropolitano stadium on Wednesday to watch on in horror as his old club stole all three points with the last kick of the game from Michy Batshuayi.