Chelsea
should not have allowed Diego Costa to leave the club "so easily" this
season, according to former Blues boss Avram Grant.
Costa began the campaign in self-enforced exile in Brazil after being told
he was surplus to requirements by Antonio Conte, and the Spain international
was eventually allowed to rejoin former club Atletico Madrid in January in a
£57m move.
However, Grant believes Chelsea should have tried harder in keeping Costa
and insists the club's current league position is partly down to the loss of
the two-time Premier League winner.
"You should not release a striker like Diego Costa so easily and think that
everything will be okay," said Grant.
"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.
"If you take Diego Costa away, you can see part of the reason why Chelsea
has not been so successful this year."
Grant believes Chelsea could struggle to attract the world's best players
without the lure of Champions League football next season, but has backed
his former side to bounce back from the disappointment of the current
campaign.
"Of course it will affect them because the top players want to play in the
Champions League," said Grant. "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.
"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 believes Conte should remain at Stamford Bridge for the final year of
his contract despite the club's struggles this season.
"If I was in his shoes I would be desperate to have one more season to show
everybody that I have the quality," said Grant.
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