Wolverhampton Wanderers will look to continue their rise in English football and Nuno Espirito Santo has already started making some moves in the transfer market. They are currently being linked with a move for Portuguese international Joao Mario who spent the second half of last season on loan at West Ham United.
The player has been tipped to leave Inter Milan this year and the West Midlands outfit are current favourites according to betting odds to sign the attacking midfielder. The 25-year-old has become a regular feature for his national side and he will be a decent signing if Nuno Santo manages to bring him in. The Hammers were also said to be interested in making a permanent move for him but now it seems like the tables have turned in the favour of the Championship title holders.
Mario started his youth career at Porto but made his name when he moved to Sporting CP. He had represented Portugal at various youth levels and since his young days, he was touted to be a future Portugal international. He made 13 appearances for the East London outfit and had scored 2 goals. He played a crucial part in David Moyes’ side in the latter half of the season as the Hammers survived without much of a relegation scare.
Santo signed a new contract with Wolves and indicated that he wants to make a few new signings before the transfer period ends. He said, “We need to bring in players and we will do so, but it is very difficult to find the right ones because the quality that we have already is high. There are other things we have to look at: the quality of the player, the ambition of the player, and the will to come to Wolves and help this big club become even bigger, in the best competition that is the Premier League. It is going to be a challenge for everybody.”
Mario is a hard-working midfielder who generally plays in a more box-to-box role. He is good and strong on the ball and has the technical ability to wriggle out of tight spaces. However, his manager will want him to bring more of a goal threat to his game as he often struggles to find the back of the net.
Mario can be a good partner for his Portuguese compatriot Ruben Neves in the middle of the park with Neves sitting back and dictating play from there and Mario in a more dynamic box-to-box role. The signing of the 25-year-old will be a relatively low-risk one as he did go on to show that he has the capability to cope up to the challenges of the Premier League.
Read More: 24 Y/O Wolves Winger Now Red Hot On Fulham’s Radar: Should Nuno Santo Let Him Leave?
Wolves have been smart in their transfer dealings in the past few seasons and they haven’t been shy in splashing the cash to get their targets. It is expected that they will have to break their all-time transfer record if they want to acquire the services of the Portuguese international.
