Reporter hints at 'ready-made' Wolves deal for 'special' 6 foot 3 colossus

Wolves could sign Sporting Lisbon midfielder Joao Palhinha as a potential Ruben Neves replacement, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.

The 26-year-old has been an influential figure at the heart of Sporting’s midfield this season, with 16 Primeira Liga appearances to his name, not to mention three goals.

Palhinha has been linked with a move to Wolves in recent days, as Bruno Lage continues to eye up squad reinforcements moving forward.

It could be that the Portuguese is viewed as a long-term successor to compatriot Neves, who has been tipped to move to Arsenal at the end of the season.

Speaking to Give Me Sport, O’Rourke claimed that Palhinha could be the ideal man to come in and fill the possible void left by Neves this summer:

“In the summer, if Ruben Neves wants to leave, Palhinha might be a ready-made replacement.”

The hope is that Neves stays put at Wolves for many years, given his quality, but there is always the risk that his head could be turned by a big move elsewhere.

Should that happen, Palhinha looks tailor-made to come in as a replacement, having been described as a ‘special player’ by Sporting manager Ruben Amorim.

The midfielder has enjoyed an 86.7% pass completion rate in the league this season, as well as averaging a hugely impressive 3.4 tackles.

In comparison, Neves has 82.6% passing and 2.2 challenges per game, showing that the Sporting star could even prove to be an upgrade if he transitions well into English football.

In other news, some Wolves fans have gushed over a key transfer update. Read more here.

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