Wolverhampton Wanderers' new head coach Nuno Espirito Santo has outlined his intention to build his team around acclaimed winger Helder Costa despite speculation that he could leave this summer.
The 23-year-old joined Wolves from Benfica last summer on an initial loan deal, before making the move permanent in the January transfer window for a club-record £13m fee.
The Portuguese was a standout player for the Championship side last season, with 12 goals in all appearances and form that has seen him garner interest from a host of Premier League clubs - including Liverpool, Everton and Arsenal - as well as Turkish outfit Fenerbahce.
"I believe that new projects, strong projects, must be built with good players," Nuno, who took over at Molineux earlier this week, said of his countryman.
"Costa is a good player. The club has its ideas and knows how well it performed last year. I believe, it is my own feelings, that new things must be built around good players. I have not spoken to him. It will be a club decision. In this day, he is a Wolves player."
Managing director Laurie Dalrymple, meanwhile, said that the club will only contemplate selling Costa this summer if they receive a significant bid.
"It'll purely come down to, if someone comes in with an offer that's far too good in our position that we cannot afford to turn down," he told the Express & Star.
"We obviously feel he's a very valuable asset. The only reason we wouldn't keep hold of that asset would be if it was in the club's interest from a financial point of view. And it's about filling someone of his ability within that position.
"We want to build a team around the best players we've got. I can't sit here and definitely say he's going absolutely nowhere because I don't know what's around the corner in four weeks' time.
"We're a football club in the Championship, we haven't been in the Premier League for five seasons and we have very different financial pressures that a lot of other clubs in this league don't have. We have to keep that in perspective. But do I want him to go? Absolutely not."
Wolves have already completed their first deal of the transfer window, signing defender Ryan Bennett on a free from Norwich City.
Neil Wilkes
