When it rains it pours at Wolverhampton Wanderers. Despite winning their first Premier League match of the season against Southampton on Saturday, the result was tarnished by debutant Sasa Kalajdzic being forced off at half-time due to a knee injury while Raul Jimenez pulled out of the game in the warm-up.
It was later confirmed that Kalajdzic, who had only joined the club on Wednesday, suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury that will see him spend a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
Just when Wolves had finally addressed their biggest problem - bringing in support for forward Jimenez - they are back where they started within a matter of days. Immediately, you assumed that the Old Gold would forage around the free agent market and of the known strikers that are currently unattached, the standout on the list is former Chelsea star Diego Costa.
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The 33-year-old former Spain international has been without a club since leaving Brazilian outfit Atletico Mineiro in January but during his three years at Stamford Bridge he was a regular source of goals, while his battling and physical style was excellent at bringing teammates into play.
Late on Sunday evening, David Ornstein of The Athletic reported that the menacing centre-forward was invited for a trial with the West Midlands club to assess his fitness and suitability to Bruno Lage’s side. As far as the latter is concerned, Wolves don’t need to prioritise whether or not he suits the style of play, just that he can come in and have an impact and contribute goals - something which the team have greatly lacked over the last year.
Decision on free transfer to be made in 24/48h.
In 2021-22 they scored 38 goals and only the three relegated sides scored less than them, while this season after six games they have only found the back of the net on three occasions.
Of the current options available to Wolves in the void that is the free agency market, Costa is by far the most qualified candidate. He knows the division well and has an excellent record at this level, scoring 52 goals in 89 Premier League appearances as he helped the Blues to two league titles in 2014/15 and 2016/17. With his aggressive style of play, he can be a handful to any defender in the league but he must prove that he can still deliver high-level performances to meet the demands of the top flight.
Being away from match action for eight months is not ideal for Wolves. They will need someone to come in immediately and be prepared to be thrown in at the deep end. Patience will be required with Costa, who will undoubtedly need time to get up to speed with the ferocious demands of the Premier League - but as we know, he is a warrior.
If he can show that he still has the fitness to wreak havoc in this division once more, Wolves will have a dangerous asset on their hands and when they are desperate for a player to deliver the goods consistently, if they have a fired up Costa in their side, then goals will come.
Should there be no major issues with the attacker’s trial this week, Wolves signing him up for the rest of the season is a no-brainer decision, and the fact that they have acted quickly to fly him over would suggest that the club are hoping that they have landed a more than suitable understudy for the understudy.
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