Diego Costa completes move to Wolves on free transfer

Diego Costa had been without a club since leaving Atletico Mineiro in January. Jack Thomas – WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images

Former Chelsea striker Diego Costa has completed a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers on a free transfer until the end of the 2022-23 season, the Premier League club announced on Monday.

Costa, who had been without a club since leaving Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro in January, was initially denied a work permit when his application did not fulfil the points criteria, but was accepted upon appeal.

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Wolves chairman Jeff Shi said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Diego Costa to Wolves, and back to the Premier League.

“A serial winner with a wealth of experience at the highest level, Diego will bring something unique to our dressing room and on the pitch, and we look forward to his impact at Molineux and Compton this season.”

Wolves were left short at striker after new arrival Sasa Kalajdzic sustained a knee ligament injury during his debut on Saturday, while Raul Jimenez missed the opening two games of the season with a knee injury.

Costa, 33, previously helped Atletico Madrid to the LaLiga title in 2014 before embarking on a successful three-year spell at Chelsea, where he scored 59 goals in 120 games in all competitions and won two Premier League titles in 2015 and 2017, as well as the League Cup in 2015.

He left to return to Atletico in 2017 but left in December 2020 before returning to native Brazil last summer to join Atletico Mineiro.

Costa, who was born in Brazil, represented Spain at international level, scoring 10 goals in 24 games, his last appearance coming at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.