Bye, bye, Baba, we will miss you..

Last updated : 02 August 2016 By Paul Lagan

Baba Rahman has signed a season-long deal  with Germn side Schalke.

He, along with Diego Costa may have played their last games for the Blues.

Costa will be the subject of £40million bid from former club Atletico Madrid this week and the odds are shortening on him ending his Chelsea career before the start of the Premier League on August 15 against West Ham United.
Conte has not played in either of the Chelsea's opening two matches in the USA - the moral-boosting 1-0 win over Liverpool last week and the shockingly embarrassing 3-2 defeat to Real Madrid on Saturday.
The Blues were 3-0 down before Real boss Zinedine Zidane brought on his kids from the second and third teams. Substitute Eden Hazed scored twice late on to restore a misguided sense of honour.
Chelsea-Mad understands that Costa has been less than happy about his role or lack of role in the matches and new head coach Antonio Conte is marking his territory by dropping the Brazilian-born Spain striker from the Madrid match. Officially Costa was injured.
It's possible that Costa may have an outing tomorrow against AC Milan, but with the bid from Atletico about to be made, Chelsea's hierarchy may intervene to prevent Costa getting further injured.
The Chelsea camp has been trying to keep a lid on the increasingly volatile Costa situation hoping it would not overshadow the branding and marketing exercise, which effectively is what these meaningless matches abroad are all about.
From a footballing perspective, the tour of the USA was supposed to be about developing a new-look shape, getting much fitter than this time last season and engendering a team spirit that will make up for the shortcoming in ability throughout the squad.
But Costa's position at the club is beginning to frustrate Conte's preparations. That might not be a bad thing given the paucity of class, Hazard apart, on display in the past week.
Conte revealed after the 3-2 loss in Michigan that he doesn't know what Costa's future is or even if it with Chelsea in the coming weeks
He said ominously: "I can say that today Costa is a Chelsea player. He didn’t play in these games because of injury and if he solves the injury and I see in training he’s in good shape, it can be possible to see him in the next game against Milan. But I can tell only this.

"Today Costa is Chelsea’s player. Tomorrow, if you ask me if Costa will remain with us, I don’t know."
It's not even the case of trying to read between the lines, or claiming Conte's English is not up to scratch - he simple doesn't know if the club's top striker will be around for much longer and it clearly rankles.
The reality, is of course different and Atletico Madrid's offer will finally start to bring about an end to the sorry saga. The Blues bought Costa for £32million in 2014.
The focus of attention will once again be on director of football Michael Emenalo as he attempts to bring in the new recruits which will allow Conte to ship out his dead wood and allow for Costa's prolonged exit to come to fruition.
The striking berth is coming more sharply into focus as Emenalo tries to persuade Everton to part with Romelu Lukaku.
The Belgian hitman will cost in the region of £75million. But the Blues, in typical knuckle-dragging style, is upping the transfer fee in small increments - hoping that the Toffeemen will cave in.
A £57million offer was rejected last week.
Lukaku, 23, had a torrid Euro 2016 but will feel at home if he returns to Stamford Bridge as he will have, for this season at least, compatriots Hazard and Thibaut Courtois alongside new-signing Michy Batshuayi.
Hazard and Courtois will remain in SW6 for one more season before jumping ship to Spain with Real Madrid and Barcelona likely destinations.
One man Conte won't have to deal with is left-back Baba Rahman whose awful time at Stamford Bridge is coming to an end as he is shipped out, on loan, to German side Schalke.
An Emenalo signing, Baba has failed to impress in his short time at SW6 three Chelsea managers; Jose Mourinho, Guus Hiddink and now Conte, following his £22million move to London from German side Augsburg.
The 22-year-old signed a one-year loan deal after his successful medical on Sunday.
Baba had penned a five-year deal with the Blues last season, and was an insignificant performer in most of his 23 games.
At least in Schalke, Baba will feel wanted, as they are now managed by his ex-Augsburg boss Markus Weinzierl.
After the Real debacle at the weekend, Conte tried his best to spin the game into a positive while also suggesting that last season's 10th finish in the league may be repeated if they are not careful.

"We were disappointed in the first half not to put out the performance we would have wanted but in the second half we came back into it and got a couple of goals, nearly finding an equaliser," he said.
"We were much better in the second half, so we’re disappointed to lose because we always want to win. But it’s all about working hard in pre-season, and we have to remember that, we’ve all got more minutes and are a step closer to where we want to be when we face West Ham.
"It is not easy to play this game against another great club after only two days of rest and a flight of four-and-a-half hours - I knew the team was a bit tired," he said.
'But I think this match was very important for us, because after this game it is clear we need to work together always, without the ball and with the ball. If we think we can’t work together when we haven’t the ball, it is not possible for us and we risk repeating a bad season.
"Against Madrid, we weren’t a team in defensive situations. It is important to understand this because in the last game I appreciated that we were. Then I thought we could improve when we had the ball. In Michigan, we were better with the ball but bad without the ball.
"It is important to keep concentration and to work together. I know it is fatiguing to work without the ball but if we stay compact, like against Liverpool, we can win. If we lose this compact, if we think one, two or three players don’t want to work without the ball, it is possible we see another bad season."
The only shining light was the cameo by substitute Hazard. Conte said of his talisman: "He played 30 minutes and he is recovering a good shape. I like him in this position, like a forward, and he can be a good solution for us. Also playing as a winger. To play as a second forward he must improve his shape."
Of his strikers Michy Batshuayi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, the Italian said: "Batshuayi's shape is improving and he’s starting to understand our idea of football. I’m happy with his commitment. He can improve a lot.
"Ruben is a bit tired but he tried to work and to fight for the team. I’m happy with his attitude and behaviour and I know he can play in this role and play good football.
"My target is to become a team. My experience as a player and a manager teaches me if you want to fight for the title you must be a team inside and outside of the pitch. It’s important to understand this and transfer this thought on to the players. We must become as a family. This is the key to switch from last season. If we don’t understand this it is no good."

One man enjoying pre-season with Chelsea, because it was looking like he would not even be with the club this term is John Terry.
The skipper said of captaining his side in front of a record attendance for a Chelsea game of 105, 826 in Michigan's university stadium in Ann Arbor: "It was an unbelievable turnout and it was great for me to be a part of it and to be Chelsea captain on the day and lead the team out in such an atmosphere.
"I hope they got their money’s worth as well. I think we come away in pre-season to primarily get fit and get games under our belts so by the time we go home we are ready for the season, but by the same token people in America are coming out and paying money to come and watch us.
"We took the atmosphere in when we arrived at the stadium, and there are times in the game where the ball goes out of play and you can have a look around, for example at the Mexican wave or with the Icelandic chant that’s going around at the moment as well."
One new recruit who is expected to play some part tomorrow against Milan is N'Golo Kante.
Conte said of his defensive midfielder, a £32million buy from champions Leicester City: "I think he is a player that doesn’t speak a lot but he does fight and it’s very important, a good guy, humble and with a great will to work.
"I explained to him what I expect on the pitch and I think he’s an important player, he can become an important player for Chelsea in the midfield. In the same way like [Nemanja] Matic, like [Cesc] Fabregas. I am pleased to have all the players.
"I think N’Golo is a bit shy. He just arrived in Chelsea and he must take confidence with the club, his team-mates and the manager. His physical condition is fantastic. He’s a runner. He has great stamina. He has fantastic endurance, he’s in good shape but we want to respect the time in training sessions, to get him to play with us in the future."