Why Wolves should reignite their interest in Andrea Pinamonti

Back in May 2019, a report from FC Inter News (h/t Birmingham Live) mentioned Wolves among the potential suitors for highly-rated Inter Milan striker Andrea Pinamonti. However, a move to West Midlands never quite materialised for the youngster, who eventually ended up joining fellow Italian club Genoa on a season-long loan deal.

Profile

Andrea Pinamonti started his footballing education with Chievo before joining Inter Milan’s youth system back in 2013. He initially made his mark at U-17 and U-19 levels for the Nerazzurri, with his impressive form earning him a senior breakthrough during the 2016-17 campaign. 

The 21-year-old was then sent out on loan to fellow top-flight outfit Frosinone, where he caught the eye with 5 goals and 3 assists in 27 Serie A appearances. That was followed by a loan spell at Genoa and Pinamonti once again managed a decent tally of 7 goals and 3 assists in 34 appearances across all competitions in 2019-20. 

Pinamonti completed a permanent move to Genoa at the end of the previous campaign but was bought back by Inter Milan in September. However, the Italy U-21 international has struggled to break into Antonio Conte’s plans the San Siro, playing just 23 minutes in all competitions so far this season. 

Wolves would benefit from Pinamonti’s potential

Wolves grabbed the headlines with a staggering £35million deal to sign teenage Portuguese centre-forward Fabio Silva from FC Porto in the summer. The 18-year-old has been roped in reduce the workload on undisputed first-choice No.9 Raul Jimenez, but Silva has found his involvement restricted to just two substitute cameos off the bench in the Premier League so far.

However, he did play the entire 90 minutes in the 1-0 defeat to Stoke City in the League Cup. While it’s understandable that Nuno Espirito Santo is trying to gradually phase the youngster into the mix, question marks remain over whether he would eventually be able to make the grade in England.

That, coupled with the departure of Diogo Jota to Liverpool, means that Wolves should dip into the January market for a new striker to replenish their attacking unit. And making a renewed attempt to sign Andrea Pinamonti would certainly be a wise decision. 

The 21-year-old has gained a lot of senior experience on loan at Frosinone and Genoa in the Serie A over the past two years while also producing decent goal returns. Pinamonti has been tipped for a big future in the game and has already started to deliver on his massive potential. Wolves should, therefore, go back in the market for him as a part of their long-term plans moving forward.

However, Pinamonti’s prospects of regular first-team football at Inter Milan look bleak, with Lautaro Martinez and Romelu Lukaku ahead of him in the pecking order. The ideal option for Wolves would be to negotiate a loan deal with an option to buy, which seems quite possible given that the 21-year-old has a contract at Inter until 2024.

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Verdict

Suffice to say, Andrea Pinamonti might not be the finished article just yet but he fits the bill as a better immediate alternative to Jimenez in front of goal when compared to Silva. A potential deal for the Italian would also help them cope with the departure of Jota in the longer run. 

Wolves have raided Italian football for the likes of Pedro Neto, Bruno Jordao and Patrick Cutrone in the recent past to varying degrees of success. That said, going back in the market for Pinamonti could pay off handsomely for their long-term plans moving forward.