Wolves urged to call three-time title winner who ‘would love’ Prem return

Striker Diego Costa is said to be ‘waiting for a call’ from Premier League clubs, with Wolves among those thought to be keen.

The 32-year-old is now a free agent after being released early from his Atletico Madrid deal. The Spain international was due to fall out of contract in the summer.

However, club chiefs took the option of letting him go in order to trim their wage bill. It is thought that he favours a move to England after his previous spell at Chelsea.

The Brazilian-born ace enjoyed a controversial three-year stint at Stamford Bridge between 2014 and 2017. He bagged 59 goals from 120 appearances in all competitions but was rarely out of the headlines.

However, his productivity outweighed any negativity. He scored 20 goals in each of his seasons during which Chelsea claimed the title.

That was in 2014-2015 and 2016-17 but things have not gone to plan back in Madrid. Unable to recapture his past glories, Costa scored just 12 La Liga goals from 61 outings.

However, he remains a powerful presence to lead any line and could thrive back in the Premier League.

The former Valladolid hitman has been continuously linked with a move to Molineux. Journalist Fabrizio Romano insists he would be happy to play in England but there is nothing concrete to report.

“He hopes to receive some bids from the Premier League,” he  told Sky Sports. “At the moment I don’t have anything confirmed about Wolves. There are a lot of rumours but nothing advanced.

“But for sure, Diego is waiting for a call from the Premier League. He would love to come back, he loves the atmosphere. Let’s see. It will be interesting to have this kind of striker available as a free agent right now.”

Wages may be stumbling block

Costa is said to have earned around £270,000-a-week at Atletico. Those sums would be out of Wolves’ range but the money men might be able to compromise.

However, Wolves will not be the only club keen to secure his signature. Arsenal were linked but a report on New Year’s Day suggested the Gunners will not pursue a deal.

Costa would not be cheap and would come with plenty of baggage but is a proven winner. In addition to his two Premier League titles, he won La Liga with Los Rojiblancos in 2013-14.

He also claimed the 2017-18 Europa League with Atletico. Wolves could do with a lift as they have won just one of their past seven league matches.

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