Why Wolves loaning out Leonardo Campana would be a good move
According to Birmingham Live, Wolves are weighing up the possibility of sending up and coming striker Leonardo Campana out on loan to Portuguese top-flight outfit Famalicao for the 2020-21 campaign.
The 20-year-old joined the Black County outfit from Ecuadorian club Barcelona SC back in the January window but failed to make a single appearance for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side during the second half of the previous campaign.
Profile
Leonardo Campana started his youth career with Barcelona SC in his native Ecuador before making his professional debut during the 2018-19 season. He played only a handful of games for his boyhood club, registering 4 goals and 3 assists in 21 appearances before departing for Wolves in January 2020.
The 20-year-old featured in several matchday squads for Wolves, especially in the club’s Europa League campaign, but remained an unused substitute. Campana, who has been capped 4 times by Ecuador at the senior international level, boasts an impressive track record for his nation at the youth level.
Campana bagged 6 goals in 9 games to propel Ecuador to a triumphant campaign at the 2019 U-20 South American Championship. He also represented his nation at the U-20 FIFA World Cup in Poland last year.
Loan move – ideal for all parties?
Wolves have already bolstered their attack with a deal for Fabio Silva from FC Porto this summer. The 18-year-old is expected to reduce the workload on Raul Jimenez while also providing the manager with an exciting option in front of goal.
With Jimenez still very much an undisputed starter at Molineux, Campana’s prospects of playing regular first-team football in the Premier League look very scarce, indeed.
The Ecuadorian international arrived at Wolves with very little professional experience under his belt. To that end, it wasn’t a massive surprise that he wasn’t immediately phased into the first-team setup by Nuno Espirito Santo towards the end of last season.
Campana, though, is still very much in the developmental stage of his career and needs to play regularly to progress in the right direction. That doesn’t seem likely to happen at Wolves and his prospects of regular game time certainly look better at Famalicao in Portugal.
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Verdict
Wolves should look at Leonardo Campana as an exciting prospect who needs to be gradually phased into the first-team in the years to come. For the time being, though, the 20-year-old is in dire need of some senior experience. A loan spell away from West Midlands could allow him to return fitter and stronger next summer.
