Lambert hopes for £13m Costa swoop
PAUL LAMBERT hopes Wolves can sign Portuguese star Helder Costa on a permanent basis after his match-winning FA Cup performance at Anfield put other clubs on red alert.
Costa, on loan from Benfica, set up both goals as the Championship side beat Liverpool 2-1 and the winger received a standing ovation from 8,000 travelling fans after he was subbed with an ankle injury.
Wolves are in talks with Benfica about a club-record £13million fee to make his move a permanent one.
After hearing joyful fans chanting ‘Sign him up’ after the game, Lambert said: ‘It doesn’t surprise me the fans were singing the way Costa is playing. He has huge talent and does things in training which makes you wonder where it came from. He has great feet and incredible speed.
‘It’s been brought to my attention that the parties are talking. If you asked me what I think of him as a footballer and the way he is as a guy, you will take him hands down, no problem.
‘The other side of the coin, the finances, I can’t answer that. All I can do is get the best out of him but for a young kid, a foreign kid over here, he’s been exceptional.’
A number of Premier League clubs including Watford and West Brom have watched Costa but Wolves’ Chinese owners were able to take him to Molineux because of their close relationship with Cristiano Ronaldo’s agent Jorge Mendes.
Costa, 23, set up goals for Richard Stearman and Andreas Weimann as Wolves progressed into the fifth round despite Divock Origi’s late consolation.
‘I thought if the young players could thrive on the atmosphere rather than fear it, we’d have a chance,’ said Lambert, whose side pulled off a classic display of counter-attacking football with only 20 per cent possession.
‘Togetherness gets you through a lot when you have the fans and players bouncing off each other.’
Centre-half Stearman had not scored since 2014 when Wolves won the League One title.
Now back at Molineux on loan from Fulham, he said: ‘A goal has been a long time coming. There isn’t a better place to do it. The celebrations from the fans will carry long into the night after this result.’