Francisco Trincao of Barcelona is now a Wolverhampton Wanderers player for next season. (imago Images)
A report by Eurosport mentions that Wolves have completed the loan signing of Barcelona winger Francisco Trincao. He will be at the Molineux temporarily for at least a year, after which Wolverhampton Wanderers will have the option to buy the 21-year-old in a permanent transfer move.
Wolves appointed Portuguese manager Bruno Lage as their new boss after Nuno Espirito Santo exited the club. And he is at the helm to see his side make their second signing of the summer after Yerson Mosquera’s arrival last month. Is this the right move by the club as they prepare for the start of next season? Let us find out.
Trincao joined Barcelona from Braga last summer after impressing in Primeira Liga. Wolves needed a winger, and the 21-year-old is an exciting winger who will make things happen. That is the belief of Wolves’ technical director, Scott Sellars, who said on the official club website (h/t Eurosport):
“He’s a player who drifts past people and he has a great change of direction when he’s moving with the ball. He has great speed over two or three yards, to change direction and get away from people, can score and create, and is an exciting player.”
But more important than what he brings to the team as a player is the fact that Wolves have secured a much-needed signing on the flanks. The club had sold influential left-winger, Diogo Jota, to Liverpool last summer and Helder Costa left to join Leeds United. The club made no signings as a direct replacement for them in that window.
Daniel Podence, Adama Traore, and Pedro Neto make for a more than able trio of wingers at the club. However, the situation at the club is not ideal when it comes to three. Neto suffered an injury in April which, according to The Athletic (Subscription Required), rules him out until at least October.
That is a big miss considering Neto featured in every single Premier League game for them last season until his injury. So there was an urgent need to sign a replacement for him, at least in the short term. Podence too is nursing an injury and a groin surgery at the end of last season. So that leaves just Traore.
The 25-year-old is linked with an exit, as a report by Football.london, which states that Traore has ‘already been linked with a move’ to Chelsea. His contract expires in 2023 (h/t The Athletic) [Subscription Required], which would leave Lage insecure regarding his options out wide.
That is why Trincao is a smart acquisition. With so many Portuguese players already at the club including Ruben Neves, Podence, Joao Moutinho and others, he will also have an easier time settling into the team.
A loan with an option to buy means the club will have two options next summer. If they’re impressed by the youngster, they can make the deal permanent. If not, then he can rejoin Camp Nou.
