Opinion:- Wolves could come to regret not signing “top-class” £35 million sensational player

Wolves: Old Gold might have signed a £35 million contract. Joao Gomes is a business partner.

Wolves missed out on a number of targets this summer, but one in particular might have been a major acquisition…

The Premier League has triumphed over the circus that is the summer transfer season, with clubs spending a record £2.36 billion on signings in the overpriced market. Wolverhampton Wanderers took part in the spending despite remaining unidentified for the most part due to funding restrictions imposed by previous Financial Fair Play (FFP) breaches.

This summer, the Old Gold welcomed eight new players, including permanent transfers for Matheus Cunha and Boubacar Traore, as well as deadline-day swoops for loanee Tommy Doyle and £12.8m Jean-Ricner Bellegarde.

Selling Matheus Nunes on the penultimate day greatly improved Gary O’Neil’s chances of upgrading his squad for the upcoming season, bringing much-needed monies to the bank to allow such acquisitions.

Despite bringing in reinforcements, the club missed out on a number of targets who may have been crucial to O’Neil’s aspirations to improve the squad’s form from previous season.

Who has been linked to Wolves this summer?

The one who slipped away this summer was former Bristol City midfielder Alex Scott, for whom Wolves made two bids below the asking price of £25 million.

The highly-rated Englishman moved to the Premier League with Bournemouth in a deal that exposed the Midlands club’s financial difficulties at the time.

The Old Gold were rumoured to have begun discussions with Real Betis’ Guido Rodriguez in July, but the rumours were never confirmed. However, it did indicate the area in which the club hoped to improve.

A deadline-day saga involving Southampton’s Che Adams also came to naught when the Saints vetoed the striker’s move, leaving Wolves short on attackers.

While missing out on such moves is regrettable, one player who could have truly made an impact at Molineux was Fluminense midfielder Andre, who had been linked with the club by Brazilian media.

Liverpool, who had a proposal of £26 million rejected by Fluminense, were also interested in the £35 million player. It speaks much about his quality to be sought in the Premier League and respected so highly in Fluminense.

Andre, a combative and dynamic central midfielder, might have bolstered the dwindling midfield at Molineux, which had been left rather empty following the departures of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho.

And who is Andre?

The 22-year-old is a product of Fluminense’s academy and has established himself as an important member of the club’s squad, as seen by his 43 appearances in the 2022/23 season.

The 2001-born jewel was defined as a “roaming play-maker” by talent scout Jacek Kulig and lauded as “top-class” by talent scout Jacek Kulig for his playing style.

Andre was given his first cap for Brazil in an international friendly against Senegal in June to reward his great achievements. The game ended in defeat but represented the beginning of something possibly remarkable for the budding star.

Competent in both defensive and offensive duties for a player of his position, it’s no surprise that he’s piqued the interest of the Premier League, with both Liverpool and Wolves looking for a player with his flair.

Following his ties to English teams, South American football expert Nathan Joyes tipped the 22-year-old to become Brazil’s “next best defensive midfielder.”

What could Andre have given Wolves?

Hiring from Brazil has already been successful for Wolves this season, with Julen Lopetegui signing former Flamengo midfielder Joao Gomes in January.

Since his arrival, the 22-year-old has established himself as an important element of the Molineux squad, with his attacking flair and tackling abilities making him a reliable figure to balance play in the engine room.

According to FBref, the former Flamengo star averaged 4.00 tackles per 90 minutes in his first season in the Premier League, putting him in the top 1% of English midfielders.

As a result, the more forward-thinking Andre could have been the ideal companion in the middle of the park.

Andre averages per 90 in Serie A in 2023.

Figures provided by FBref.

It didn’t take long for the newcomer to integrate into his new surroundings, which makes one wonder what may have been for Andre at Wolves had the Old Gold been able to authorize a bid for his services.

Joyes also characterized the talented midfielder as a “unbelievable talent” with the potential to “flourish in the Premier League,” high praise for a player coming from afar to play in one of the top leagues in the world.

So many players have arrived in England with enormous promise and nothing to show for it by the time they leave, with the demands of the English game deemed unintelligible to some players’ playing styles.

Andre’s recognition as a Premier League player made him an even more appealing signing for Wolves, who were concerned about how well he would have fit into the club.

This summer brought about upheaval at Molineux, with long-serving midfielders Neves and Moutinho calling it quits with the Old Gold, leaving an air of insecurity in the middle of the park.

According to his statistics in Brazil, Andre is the essence of consistency, with a passing accuracy rate of 93.3% per 90 and making an average of 2.32 tackles per 90 for Fluminense over the past year, according to FBref.

During the summer’s upheaval, Wolves might have signed a player to replace the calibre of the outgoing midfield combo while also providing a state of control at a time when it was desperately needed.

Described as a “midfield orchestrator” by U23 scout Antonio Mango, the Old Gold passed up a huge opportunity to sign a player widely regarded as one of the best as his career advances.

Finances and club changes played as a smokescreen to the potential that could have been harnessed in the window, but with the 22-year-old still playing football at his boyhood club, a move could still be on the cards in the near future.