Wolverhampton Wanderers are linked with a permanent transfer move for Vitinha of Portugal and FC Porto. (imago Images)
According to a report by Sport Witness (h/t The Yorkshire Post), Wolves are believed to have been given extended time to make a permanent transfer move for Vitinha. The Portuguese midfielder was loaned in from FC Porto last summer with an option to make the deal permanent for €20million.
The date for that clause to make the transfer permanent has passed. However, the report mentions that Porto have given Wolverhampton Wanderers extended time to gather the funds. The 21-year-old enjoyed several starts, but is this a move worth making permanent for Bruno Lage, their new boss?
The situation in attacking midfield is not the most ideal at the Molineux. Out of the senior central midfielders used last summer by Nuno Espirito Santo, Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves’ long-term future at the club hangs in the balance. Moutinho, who will be 35 this year, is in the last year of his contract.
Ruben Neves, on the other hand, can exit the club in the summer as well. According to Eurosport (h/t The Mirror), the 24-year-old midfielder is linked with a move to Manchester United and Arsenal. That could leave the club in a problematic situation in the short as well as long term.
Leander Dedoncker is an option but he is used as a centre-back at times and is a defensive midfielder by trade. Youngsters Bruno Jordao and Connor Ronan cannot be considered immediate options. The duo returned from their loan spells this summer and have just 6 minutes of Premier League football between them for Wolves.
This leaves them with Morgan Gibbs-White. But regardless of the 21-year-old Englishman’s presence, they are still devoid of options at No.10. Vitinha, who is 21, can play as a central midfielder and as an attacking midfielder, just like Gibbs-White.
Santo trusted Vitinha last season enough to feature him in half of their Premier League matches. While a number of those games came from the bench, Vitinha was a good option to bring in their midfield with regards to having a fresh pair of legs in the attacking third.
With both Daniel Podence and Pedro Neto suffering serious injuries, Vitinha can also assume a more active role in the playmaking department during the start of next season. The fee in the clause also seems reasonable considering Wolves did use him last season and his age is ideal with regards to the time and room it gives him to develop.
So considering all factors, this is one deal that Wolves are right in pursuing. They should make use of the extra time given to them by Porto and make a move for Vitinha. There is always the chance that he blossoms to become the successor of one of their current senior midfielders.
