Wolves are said to have completed the signing of Diego Costa as a free agent - LIAM BERRY TAKES A LOOK
It is expected Diego Costa will be announced as a Wolves player this week, potentially on Monday, after completing his medical and negotiations to move to Molineux.
Costa has been without a club since December 2021, when he terminated his contract at Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro.
With summer signing Sasa Kalajdic suffering a serious ACL injury only 45 minutes into his debut, Wolves are acting fast to fill the void, and this is where Costa fits in.
The 33-year-old played in the Premier League with Chelsea for three years, scoring an impressive 52 goals in 89 appearances, winning two Premier League titles and an FA Cup in the process.
Since then, the Spanish striker has only managed to score 24 goals throughout four seasons.
So, what can Wolves fans expect from this signing and how will it benefit the squad?
What will he bring?
It’s fair to say that Costa is an aggressive player, one that many defenders may have sleepless nights about playing against.
This is something Wolves need, and not only because of the poor goal record of the past few seasons. Costa is a player that head coach Bruno Lage can utilise in a way that can provide numerous advantages, not only a better goal threat, but a physical presence up front. Opposition managers will have extra work to do to try and keep him quiet which in turn might help the other Wolves attacking players enjoy more space to work their magic.
Under Lage, Wolves have lacked goals, despite the number of chances they create. With Costa’s eye for goal, and if the team keeps up their track record of the number of chances created, he could fit right into the squad and give Wolves a better chance of gaining momentum over the forthcoming games.
fitness problems
Costa has not played a single minute so far this year, so his fitness – particularly match fitness – is clearly a major question.
With all games postponed this weekend out of respect for the late Queen, there has been more time for Costa to build his fitness up and be ready for when the Premier League makes its return. Even ahead of travelling to Wolves he posted a picture on Instagram to demonstrate he had been working in the gym, so he is clearly keen to impress.
It’s been reported that Wolves have set up a mini pre-season for Costa, to build up his fitness, and with that it might not be too much to hope that he could feature for the fixture against current Premier League champions Manchester City at Molineux next weekend, providing the game goes ahead.
Costa might be past the peak of his powers, but if he can find some of his old drive, his transfer could prove vital for Wolves, especially with that damaging lack of goals.
Being seen in and around Tettenhall on Sunday, including at the Food Festival, Diego is clearly at ease with his switch to Wolverhampton and very much ready to settle and focus on a challenge that very few people saw coming!
article by Liam berry
I am a life long Wolves fan that is passionate for the club. I am a sixth form student who loves writing about things I love!