Atletico Madrid management had no option but to release Diego Costa from his contract as he became a "toxic" presence around the club, it has been claimed.

Local reporter José Ramón de la Morena, on El Transistor, has explained why Atletico and Costa mutually agreed to terminate the striker's contract this week.

"Diego Costa was in a very uncomfortable situation with the club before the start of the season. This is not something that has come now, but it has become more and more tense, bogging down ... (coach Diego) Simeone has tried to help him," said De la Morena.

"Luis Suárez arrived and Simeone played Diego Costa, he alternated with Luis Suárez in the first matches.

"But Diego Costa's attitude had become more and more indolent and he became more than a player, a toxic character for that dressing room and that made the club more and more afraid. The club negotiated his departure with him, he asked to collect his entire contract to leave.

"The relationship with the coach in training was already unbearable and with Nelson Vivas, Simeone's assistant, even worse."

He continued: "Diego Costa talked to the club's sports director after coming from San Sebastián, he tells him that he has a family problem and that he wants to go to Brazil, because his family has gone to Brazil.

"He tells him to leave, but that he cannot go to any team in the Champions League or the Spanish League without paying a clause of 20 million. He says no.

"Everything was tense and Diego Costa stopped going to train.

"Diego Costa is now leaving and Atlético avoids a problem, but now they need a centre-forward."