Lage masterclass: Wolves plotting swoop to land £21m gem who “rules the midfield” – opinion

Bruno Lage could land a masterclass in signing Sporting Lisbon midfielder Joao Palhinha for Wolves ahead of the summer transfer window.

According to Portuguese paper A Bola (via Sport Witness), the Premier League club have made an approach to the player’s representatives, with this being the last step before an official bid is placed.

Sporting reportedly are demanding €25m (£21m) for the midfielder, although Wolves are looking at making a bid once some players have left Molineux.

The report added that Tottenham Hotspur are keen on the Portuguese star, but it is believed that Wolves have always held the most interest.

Lage will be aiming to rebuild his squad this summer, especially since there may be a few outgoings, with the futures of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho not yet clarified.

Wolves will require some replacements in the midfield area if these two players leave, and a swoop for Palhinha could be a wise move.

With plenty of Portuguese representation in Lage’s squad, the 26-year-old should settle in with ease. He has an impressive WhoScored rating of 7.03 and has contributed with three goals this season, a decent return for a player who regularly features as a defensive midfielder.

His ability to nullify opponents is supported by his placing in the top 1% of positional peers in the big five European leagues in pressures per 90 minutes (32.42) and in the top 8% for blocks (2.2 per 90).

These are statistics which will give Lage an indication of what he could get in the centre of the pitch with Palhinha involved, and it should be a move that Wolves try to push through sooner rather than later.

Having been lauded as a player who “rules midfield” following an impressive performance against Estoril earlier this season,