Fabrizio Romano has revealed some insight into Wolves’ deal for Diego Costa, which hit a stumbling block due to a work permit before being confirmed last week.
Wolves have experienced a tough start to their 2022/23 Premier League campaign, especially with their squad fitness, as star striker Raul Jimenez has spent time out and summer signing Sasa Kalajdzic has picked up an ACL injury.
As a result, the club have made moves to bring in another striker for depth while Jimenez and Kalajdzic both get back to full fitness. This led them to former Chelsea star Costa, who has been a free agent since leaving Atletico Mineiro in Brazil.
While he has now signed and been announced by the club, Romano revealed that Wolves had concerns over the work permit as well as the striker’s fitness after nearly a year out of the game, while revealing the ex-Spain striker cannot wait to get going at Molineux.
Romano told the Que Golazo podcast, “It’s never easy to get the work permit. But at the end, with the appeal, they were able to get it approved and so on Friday, everything was completed between Wolves and Diego Costa.
“Also with the medical test, they wanted to make sure that Diego was in good condition as he was not playing professional football [for] one year with Atletico Mineiro. But he had this dream to return to the Premier League, to prove himself [in the] Premier League again, and it was successful.
“So, the medical tests were perfect. The contract is until next June, so a one-year deal. And Diego, I’m told that he’s really looking forward [to] this opportunity because he was dreaming of a Premier League return after his fantastic time at Chelsea, winning the league with Antonio Conte as manager, so a very good opportunity for him.
“Diego Costa is a very good short-term replacement who can bring also some leadership in the dressing room. He’s not just a very good striker, but also [a] main leader, and I think he is a really interesting signing for Wolves.”
TIF Thoughts on Costa to Wolves…
Wolves have done a great job by bringing in Costa as a temporary solution to their striker problems until Jimenez and Kalajdzic return to full fitness before the end of the season.
The Spanish international shone last time he was in the Premier League with Chelsea. In his 89 top-flight appearances, he bagged 52 goals and 18 assists, including two seasons where he hit 20 goals in the league.
While it is not certain Costa can achieve these heights again, he can help be a leader without Jimenez and experience at the top level of club football which will be great for the younger players in the squad. He might not be able to bring in a huge amount of goals, but on a free deal, they could have done a lot worse.
Will Costa shine at Wolves?Yes
No
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