Chelsea legend Diego Costa denied work permit ahead Premier League return

Diego Costa (left) and Nemanja Matic.

PREMIER LEAGUE Chelsea legend Diego Costa denied work permit ahead Premier League return

Izuchukwu Akawor 22:25 - 06.09.2022

The Brazilian forward is set for a return to the Premier League but that move is now in doubt.

Premier League outfit Wolverhampton Wanderers move for former Chelsea forward Diego Costa has hit a snag.

Wolves were working on a deal to sign the Brazilian striker as a replacement for injured forward Sasa Kalajdzic.

Kalajdzic was a £15m signing from German Stuttgart but suffered his cruciate ligament during his Premier League debut against Southampton on Saturday. 

His injury pushed Wolves to look for a replacement with 33-year-old Costa identified as the perfect replacement.

However, that move could collapse after Costa's initial application for a work permit was rejected because he didn't have enough points.

The former Atletico Madrid star is expected to be in England to appeal the decision as he is keen to join Bruno Lage's men.

What you need to know about the failed application

Costa's work permit issue comes as a result Brexit which demands that foreign players must earn a number of points from the Governing Body Endorsement, GBE, to get the permission to play in England.

In this case, a foreigner is mandated to get at least 15 points in this GBE to get the work permit to get to work.

International caps and minutes played in domestic competitions are used to assess the players alongside performances in the league and continent.

It's on these points that Costa has fallen short of as his club, Atletico Mineiro, hasn't been in action since January this year.

Wolves confident Costa will get his permit

With Costa expected to appeal the decision,  Wolves remain confident that the Brazilian will win his appeal.

Diego Costa, pictured in Decemember 2021 with the Brazilian Serie A trophy he won with Atletico Mineiro

According to the Mirror, Costa's records for Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and in the Champions League could see him get the necessary permit on appeal.

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