“The signs we’re getting”: Journalist drops intriguing update on "long-term" £25m Wolves target

Sporting Lisbon midfielder Joao Palhinha is a 'long-term target' for Wolverhampton Wanderers but he might be out of their 'price range right now,' according to journalist Pete O'Rourke. 

Bruno Lage is reportedly keen to add up to three players to his first-team squad in the January transfer window after spending six months at the helm of the Midlands outfit. 

The 45-year-old tactician has already secured the signing of promising winger Chiquinho from Estoril for an initial £3 million before turning Hwang Hee-Chan's loan spell into a permanent stay from RB Leipzig. 

However, Wolves have also been linked with making a move for the highly-rated Palhinha as they look to address their engine room issues. 

According to Portuguese newspaper Record (as relayed by Sport Witness), Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla have joined Lage's charges in the race for the 26-year-old's signature. 

The report states that the interested parties have received a boost in their pursuit of Palhinha as Sporting have dropped their asking price from €40m (£33.3m) to €30m (£25m). 

It also states that the defensive-minded dynamo has ‘one foot out’ of the Lisbon side, indicating that an imminent exit could be on the cards. 

Despite Wolves' extensive Portuguese links, O'Rourke believes Palhinha could be out of reach for the Molineux side at the moment time. 

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In an exclusive interview, he told GiveMeSport: “Palhinha has been a long-term target for Wolves, and some of the signs we're getting from Sporting Lisbon is that they would consider selling him before Monday's deadline.

"£25 million has been mentioned, I think that will put him out of