Wolves are immediately appealing the decision to reject Diego Costa's work permit, The Athletic's David Ornstein reports.

The Lowdown: Costa rumours

Sasa Kalajdzic's ACL injury has thrown Wanderers' season into chaos, with their big-money summer signing potentially ruled out for the majority of the 2022/23 season while Raul Jimenez is also struggling.

Attention has now turned to signing a replacement in attack and Costa has emerged as a primary target, with the 33-year-old a free agent after leaving Atletico.

The move for the enigmatic Spain international looked all but done less than 24 hours ago, but a new twist will have supporters worried.

The Latest: Ornstein shares latest

Writing on Twitter on Tuesday morning, The Athletic's Ornstein revealed the disastrous news that Costa's application for a work permit has indeed been rejected, but the club are already appealing to try and fix the issue:

"Wolves move for Diego Costa in balance after work permit application rejected. 33yo did not get enough points & #WWFC are appealing decision. Striker scheduled to arrive late tonight + undergo medical tomorrow - appeal happening in unison."

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The Verdict: Potential big blow

While Costa may not be an ideal signing, given his age, beggars can't be choosers after Kalajdzic's injury so this appeal simply has to go right from a Wolves perspective.

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The striker is someone who has proven himself in Europe's top leagues and the Champions League over the years, not to mention scoring ten goals in 24 caps for Spain.

Hopefully, the work permit situation changes imminently and Costa becomes a Wolves player - if not, Bruno Lage will swiftly need to eye up an alternative free agents or find goals from his array of wingers instead.