Wolves were dealt a huge blow in their win over Southampton at the weekend, with new signing Sasa Kalajdzic rupturing his ACL on his debut. The Austrian only joined the club last week from Stuttgart in a deal worth around £15 million to bolster Wolves strike force that has been limited by the injuries to Raul Jimenez
With their new recruit sidelined for the foreseeable future, Bruno Lage turned his attention to Diego Costa. The former Chelsea man has been a free agent since being released by Brazilian outfit Atletico Mineiro at the end of 2021.
The 33-year-old expected to have his medical at Wolves on Wednesday, but the move was put on hold due to the striker not making enough international appearances and therefore, not having enough points on his application to qualify for a work permit.
🚨 Diego Costa has had his work permit application rejected due to not having enough points on his application, Wolves have appealed the decision. pic.twitter.com/1C8Ld5ACIu
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) September 6, 2022
Apologies - Diego Costa work permit application not technically rejected & appeal not against rejection, rather he fails to qualify automatically through new points system. So case goes to panel, which will decide whether/not to grant a permit for Wolves move @TheAthleticUK #WWFC https://t.co/GrSFj2PTPq
— David Ornstein (@David_Ornstein) September 6, 2022
Although Costa has already played in the Premier League in the past, this was before Brexit and with the UK now out of the EU, work permits can be a lot more difficult to receive.
Andy Carroll to Wolves?
Wolves are expected to appeal the decision, but should their move for Costa not materialise, they have a backup option.
The Telegraph are reporting that former Liverpool and Newcastle striker Andy Carroll is an alternative option that Wolves are exploring.
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Carroll is also currently a free agent after leaving West Bromwich Albion in the summer and he would qualify as a 'homegrown' signing, should the club pursue a deal.
The 33-year-old last played in the Premier League in 2021, during his second stint at St. James' Park. Andy Carroll has scored 54 goals in 248 Premier League appearances over his career.
Wolves' fans will likely not be as excited with the potential deal for Andy Carroll as they would have been with Diego Costa coming to the club. In comparison to Carroll's goalscoring history in the Premier League, Costa has scored 52 times in just 89 appearances.
Impact of Brexit on Irish youngsters
For years, the best young talent from across Ireland would have traditionally just one route to find their feet in professional football. That was signing for an English side and working their way up the ranks, but over the past year, that has changed drastically.
Irish youngsters are no longer allowed to move to the UK, unless their parents also move and they must also apply for work permits to enter the country.
With these new regulations coming in because of Brexit, we have seen a number of Irish talent opt to move across Europe and to Italy in particular to kick start their professional careers.
READ ALSO: Every Player Who Left The League Of Ireland This Summer
Irish youth internationals Kevin Zefi and Cathal Heffernan are now on the books at Inter and AC Milan respectively, while James Abankwah completed his move from St. Patrick's Athletic to Udinese earlier this year.
Highly rated Ireland U21 international Liam Kerrigan swapped the League of Ireland Premier Division for Serie B as he joined Como, while his former teammate John Ryan was snapped up by Sassuolo.
It's has to be seen as a huge plus for Ireland that this new generation of players are getting a chance to experience new cultures and playing styles across Europe.
It's England loss, as the ramifications of the decision to leave the EU continue to create chaos in unexpected ways.
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