Problems with work permit
This article first appeared on September 5 and has since been updated with new information.
After Sasa Kalajdzic suffered an ACL injury in his first game for Wolverhampton, the Premier League club needs a another striker. Apparently, a former Chelsea forward is high up their list of potential replacements. According to reports by The Athletic and BBC Sport, Wolves are considering the signing of veteran striker Diego Costa.
The 33-year-old would be available on a free transfer after opting out of his contract with Clube Atlético Mineiro in his native Brazil in January. However, it is questionable whether the 33-year-old would be an immediate reinforcement, as he has not played in a competitive match for eight months. Therefore, he will reportedly first come to the club for a trial to assess his fitness and suitability.
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On Tuesday, The Athletic reported that Wolves’ move for Costa is in the balance. It is said that there are problems with his work permit and the striker’s original application was rejected because he did not score enough points. The club have appealed the decision. Costa is still expected to fly to the UK and undergo a medical on Wednesday, while an appeal hearing will also take place.
No work permit for Costa? Wolves want most valuable free agent striker
Since Brexit, players have to meet certain requirements to obtain a work permit. These are measured in points. They are assessed by international appearances and the level and the number of minutes played for the selling club in domestic and continental competitions, among other things. One day before the transfer window closed last week, Justin Kluivert’s move to Fulham fell through for similar reasons.
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Among other achievements, Costa would bring the experience of 89 games (52 goals) in the English top flight and 205 appearances in LaLiga (73 goals) to Wolverhampton, who currently have Hee-chan Hwang, Léo Bonatini and Raúl Jiménez at their disposal for the central position upfront. The latter was unable to play against Southampton on Saturday because he felt pain in his groin during the warm-up. However, Jiménez is not expected to be out for the long term. The Mexican, who missed the first two games of the season, suffered a knee injury last campaign and is still building up his fitness.
With a market value of €4 million, Costa, who has generated transfer fees of €100.5 million in his career, is currently the most valuable striker available as a free agent. Most recently, the 24-time Spain international has also been linked with a return to LaLiga to join Rayo Vallecano.
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