Diego Costa’s £9million annual salary is threatening to prematurely end AC Milan’s interest in the striker who has been told he can leave Chelsea.
Milan quickly emerged as the most likely destination when Costa revealed he had been told via text message from Antonio Conte that he was not part of future plans at Stamford Bridge.
Preliminary talks were opened last week and Costa’s agent Jorge Mendes is understood to have met Milan officials on Thursday and presented them with wage demands of £200,000 a week for his player.
The Italian club are unable to match this and have alternative targets for a new centre-forward, including Alvaro Moratta of Real Madrid, Andrea Belotti of Torino and Andre Silva of Porto.