Even if the summer window is shut the transfer news keeps on flowing, as reports regarding Diego Costa to Wolves and Edson Alvarez to Chelsea are front and center.
How?
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Well, free agents can still sign for new clubs and some teams are already focusing on the January transfer window. Talk about being overachievers...
Let’s focus on these intriguing reports doing the rounds.
Diego Costa to Wolves in doubt over work permit issues
Diego Costa, 33, plans to fly to England on Tuesday to complete a medical as Wolves want to sign him as a short-term option up top.
There’s a problem, though, as our partners in the UK at Sky Sports are reporting that Costa was unable to get a work permit as he doesn’t meet the criteria. Per the details in the report, Wolves have asked for the initial decision from the Football Association to be overturned and should find out if that is successful in the next 48 hours.
Costa is still scheduled to arrive in the UK ahead of a planned medical on Wednesday and there’s hope at Wolves that the appeal will be successful and the Spanish striker will be available to play very soon.
The former Atletico Madrid striker proved a decent signing for Atletico Mineiro in Brazil last year, as he scored five goals in 19 appearances and helped them win the Brazilian top-flight and cup in 2021, but Costa left Mineiro by mutual consent in January and has been waiting for the right opportunity to return to the game. Of course, he isn’t the same player he was in his prime at Chelsea back in 2014-17 when he helped them win two Premier League titles under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, but he’s still a handful, as his recent spell at Atletico Madrid proved.
Injuries have caught up with him in recent years but as stop-gap solutions go, this is a no-brainer for Wolves who are nursing Raul Jimenez back to full fitness and just saw new striker Sasa Kalajdzic suffer an ACL injury less than 45 minutes into his debut at the weekend.
Chelsea plan to go back in for Edson Alvarez in January
ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS - AUGUST 21: Edson Alvarez of AFC Ajax gestures during the Dutch Eredivisie match between Sparta Rotterdam and AFC Ajax at Sparta Stadion Het Kasteel on August 21, 2022 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. (Photo by Michael Bulder/NESImages/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
DeFodi Images via Getty Images
Mexico star Edson Alvarez, 24, was the subject of late interest from Chelsea in the summer transfer window and a report from the London Evening Standard says that the Blues will go back in for the holding midfielder in January.
Reports in the Netherlands stated that Alvarez wanted to join Chelsea late in the window but was told by his current club Ajax that it wasn’t going to happen.
Chelsea are on the hunt for long-term solutions in central midfield as injuries continue to impact N’Golo Kante, while Jorginho is also heading towards the twilight of his career and both of those midfield stars have less than a year remaining on their current contracts.
Per the report, Alvarez is Chelsea’s ‘main target’ for January and they made a $46 million bid on deadline day which was turned down. Fabrizio Romano has since reported that Chelsea made an audacious $56 million bid for Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, 18, on deadline day, which was also rejected as he only arrived at Saints from Manchester City in the summer.
Alvarez would be a great fit for Chelsea and Thomas Tuchel as he’s smooth on the ball, versatile and so reliable defensively. The Club America product will primarily play as a holding midfielder but he could easily slot into the center back or even in a right wing-back role in Tuchel’s 3-4-2-1 system. A move to Chelsea would be the next step in his career after being a regular at Ajax in the Champions League over the past three seasons.
