Newly-appointed Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Nuno Espirito Santo insists he wants to build his team around Helder Costa.
Santo ended weeks of speculation by becoming the new manager at Molineux on Wednesday, having been tipped to take over at the club despite Paul Lambert still being in charge.
But with Lambert dismissed by the club’s Chinese owners Fosun on Tuesday, the pathway was cleared for Santo to become the fourth Wolves manager in just 10 months.
One of his first priorities at the Championship side will be to put an end to speculation regarding the potential departure of record signing Costa, who is being tracked by a number of top flight clubs.
However, Santo insists it is in the club’s best interests to retain the services of their best talents, and that the club will make the final decision on whether the Portuguese midfielder leaves the club.
He told the Express and Star: “I believe that new projects, strong projects, must be built with good players.
“Costa is a good player. I believe, it is my own feelings, that new things must be built around good players. I have not spoken to him. It will be a club decision. In this day, he is a Wolves player.”
The 23-year-old moved to Wolves in January for a club record £12.75million fee, following a successful loan spell at the club from Benfica.
He scored 12 goals and supplied 11 assists from 40 appearances in England last season, and has caught the attention of a number of high-profile sides including Arsenal and Chelsea.
The Sun reported in March that the Premier League duo were weighing up a £20million move for the winger this summer, while West Brom have since emerged as favourites, according to the latest bookmakers’ odds.
Bet Victor have priced Costa at 5/1 to make the move to the Hawthorns before September 3, while Arsenal and Chelsea are both priced down at 10/1.
Wolves finished 15th in the English Championship last season, and the new chief will be determined to spark a transformation that sees them move clear of their relegation battle into promotion candidates.