Former Liverpool boss Graeme Souness believes the Diego Costa saga could hurt Chelsea's title chances.

Souness reckons Chelsea should look to offload Costa sooner rather than later before his presence causes problems in the dressing room.

"The biggest question mark hangs over Diego Costa," Souness told The Sunday Times.

"It's not about whether he will leave because both player and club seem happy with that outcome and Atletico Madrid are waiting in the wings.

"The uncertainty is about how long he hangs around, since Atletico are banned from signing new players until the next transfer window in January.

"We got a portent of the breakdown in relations between manager and striker last October when Costa demanded to be taken off towards the end of a 3-0 win over Leicester and Conte told him to stay on.

"There could only be one winner in the short term in that battle of wills. But Costa now poses a threat to his manager's chances of successfully defending the title."

He added: "If Chelsea can't move Costa on in the next few months it will require the senior players to bring him into line before it gets ugly."