Diego Costa’s move to Wolverhampton Wanderers has been stymied after the Spanish international was denied a work permit, and the club has now filed an appeal challenging the decision.
The Premier League club had hoped to sign the 33-year-old in time for Saturday’s game against Liverpool after summer signing Sasa Kalajdzic ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in their 1-0 win over Southampton last weekend.
Even before the Brazilian was offered a contract, there were reports that the club was concerned about his ability to obtain a work permit, given that he had not played in a professional match since December 12 of last year.
Wolves have filed an appeal with the Football Association, hoping to have the original decision reversed. They expect to receive a final response within 48 hours. On Tuesday, Costa was scheduled to report to Wolves’ Compton training base and undergo all necessary medical checks. Wolves were set to offer the Spanish international a one-year contract if the trial went well, and the striker forward would have provided cover for Kalajdzic until his recovery.
Costa became a free agent in January after leaving Atletico Mineiro. In the 2021 season, he appeared 19 times and scored five goals for them before his contract was terminated after only five months. Despite being linked with Corinthians, he has yet to sign a contract. Marca reported in August that he was close to signing a contract with LaLiga minnows Rayo Vallecano.
The player spent three and a half years at Atletico Madrid after leaving Chelsea in the summer of 2017, scoring 19 goals in 81 matches across all competitions before his contract was mutually terminated in December 2020.
The forward joined Mineiro in August 2021 and scored five goals in 19 games before his contract was terminated in January of this year. He has been out of football for the past eight months, but he could make a stunning return to the Premier League.
Bruno Lage’s men had a rough start to the season, losing all five games. The 1-0 win over Southampton has moved them up to 14th in the table, but their next four games are against Liverpool, Manchester City, West Ham, and Chelsea, all of which will present a difficult challenge.
