Why Wolves should keep hold of Rafa Mir amidst interest from Spain

According to Marca via Sport Witness (h/t Birmingham Mail), Wolves forward Rafa Mir has attracted interest from Spanish giants Atletico Madrid.

The 23-year-old has been a forgotten man at Molineux ever since he joined Wolves in January 2018. The Spaniard has only made four appearances under Nuno Espirito Santo – all of which happened during their 2017-18 Championship-winning campaign.

Since then, Mir has spent a major share of his time on loan at several clubs namely Las Palmas, Nottingham Forest and SD Huesca. Mir spent the first half of the 2019-20 season on loan with Championship outfit Forest.

However, he failed to make an impact, not even scoring a single goal despite making 11 league appearances. This saw Wolves recall their young striker during the winter transfer window and offload him to Spanish second-division side SD Huesca on loan until the end of 2020-21 season.

Mir, meanwhile, seemed to have had a career revival of sorts since arriving at his homeland, scoring nine goals from his 18 league appearances for Huesca.

He scored seven goals since the restart, giving a clear picture of his goal-scoring prowess. Having impressed in such a short duration while on loan at Huesca, Mir has now come under the radar of La Liga side Atletico Madrid.

Mir a valuable asset for Wolves in the coming days

Mir’s parent club Wolves, on the other hand, have enjoyed a successful league campaign this season, finishing an impressive 7th in the league table. A major reason for Wolves’ success this term has been largely due to the sensational form of their star striker Raul Jimenez.

The Mexican forward scored 17 goals from 38 matches helping Wolves climb into the league’s top-ten this season. However, Jimenez’s top-form in front of goal has not gone unnoticed, with rivals Manchester United keen on securing his services permanently ahead of next season.

That said, Wolves will be in big trouble next season if Jimenez chooses to depart, as they lack an established goal-scorer in their ranks. Apart from Jimenez, Wolves just have Brazilian Léo Bonatini and winter arrival Leonardo Campana as backup.

Bonatini, however, is not a favourite at the Molineux, having spent last season on loan with Portuguese side Vitória Guimarães SC. Moreover, his time in Portugal has been far from impressive, as he scored just three goals despite making 19 league appearances.

Young striker Campana, meanwhile, is yet to feature for Nuno’s side and lacks big-game experience. He is just 20 and has a lot more to improve upon. Considering all this, Wolves would be making a major mistake if they decide to sell Mir amidst interest from abroad.

Mir, who in recent times has proved his ability as a consistent goal-scorer, would be a valuable asset in the future whether Jimenez chooses to depart or stay. Hence, Wolves should ward off interest in the player and keep him with them if they wish to have a good future.

Read more

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Verdict

Wolves clearly lack depth in their striking department with Jimenez being the lone established goal-scorer in their squad. That said, Wolves would be making a grave mistake by selling Mir, who, on the other hand, has proved himself while on loan. Jimenez’s uncertain future at the club puts Wolves in even more danger and they should keep Mir rather than let him go permanently amidst interest from Spain.