Winning before popularity is Conte’s creed

Antonio Conte prioritises winning over his Chelsea players’ happiness and has told Diego Costa to focus on the bid for silverware after further speculation over the striker’s future.

Chelsea are top of the Premier League with four games to play and in the May 27 FA Cup final with Arsenal as Conte seeks the double in his first season as head coach.

But speculation continues to surround the future of players including Costa, who has again been linked with a mega-money move to Tianjin Quanjian, and Cesc Fabregas, who is not guaranteed a starting spot under Conte.