Diego Costa's move to Wolverhampton Wanderers is under threat due to work permit concerns, but the Premier League club remain hopeful of getting a deal concluded.
The Spanish international has been without a club since the turn of the year, having last played for Atletico Mineiro in Brazil. However, Wolves have looked to bring in the former Chelsea and Atletico Madrid star after new signing Sasa Kalajdzic suffered a cruciate ligament injury on his debut over the weekend.
Kalajdzic, who joined from Stuttgart on 31 August, managed just 45 minutes against Southampton on Saturday at Molineux. He is now expected to miss the bulk of the season, increasing the need for a new striker, and Bruno Lage will still hope free agent Costa can be that man with the former title winner headed to the UK.
According to The Athletic, Costa did not score highly enough on the points system used to determine which players qualify for a work permit. However, Wolves are reportedly lodging an appeal.
Players need 15 points to automatically qualify for a work permit, with the score coming from factors including domestic and international minutes played as well as international appearances. Costa, whose last Spain cap came in 2018, is understood to have between 10 and 14 points.
The Costa news follows a similar setback for Fulham, who had hoped to sign Dutch international Justin Kluivert. In the London club's case, Kluivert didn't even receive enough points for the club to lodge an appeal, and the former Roma winger has instead been loaned to Valencia.
Can Diego Costa still succeed in the Premier League? Have your say in the comments section
“Sasa felt a pain in his knee late in the first-half against Southampton," a statement from Wolves read. "Unfortunately, scans reveal an anterior cruciate injury and he will see a knee specialist tomorrow."
Kalajdzic's fellow striker Raul Jimenez has also struggled with injury during pre-season, though the Mexican international has made two starts in the Premier League this term. “Raul’s pre-season was interrupted by a knee injury which means that he is still building his resilience and his ability to recover quickly during periods of match congestion," the club explained, adding that he wasn't risked against Southampton after feeling a pain in his groin during the warm-up.
Wolves struggled for goals last season, with Jimenez their top scorer in the league with six. With fellow frontman Fabio Silva leaving on loan and Patrick Cutrone making a permanent exit, there had been hope that Kalajdzic - who has scored 22 times in 51 Bundesliga games - would help bridge the gap.
Now, if the appeal is successful, that responsibility will lie with Costa. The 33-year-old has not been prolific of late, though, scoring four league goals for Atletico Mineiro after netting 12 times in 61 La Liga games during his second Atletico Madrid spell.
