Wolves plotting bid for “special” £25m gem who "rules midfield", Lage will love him – opinion

Wolves are lining up a bid for João Palhinha as Bruno Lage looks set to rebuild his squad in the summer.

That’s according to Portuguese newspaper Jornal de Noticias (via Sport Witness), who reported that the Old Gold are among the clubs who have been linked with the midfielder.

Sporting Lisbon are demanding €30m (£25m) for the 26-year-old and this is well within Lage’s budget, especially if he is to offload a few players.

The Premier League side could face a battle for his signature, though, with Tottenham Hotspur and Sevilla also credited with an interest.

Lage has had a solid if unspectacular first season in charge of Wolves, leading them to a top-half finish, and it is a solid base to build upon ahead of next season.

With the 46-year-old previously discussing transfer plans ahead of the summer window, there could be a lot of activity taking place at Molineux.

The future is uncertain for the likes of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho, which suggests that Lage will be looking to add to his midfield options, and Palhinha could be a fine addition in that regard.

The 26-year-old has featured 38 times for Sporting this season, scoring three goals. Compared to positional peers in Europe’s big five leagues, he is ranked in the 99th percentile for pressures (32.42 per 90), the 92nd percentile for blocks (2.20) and the 87th percentile for tackles (3.04).

These stats suggest that Palhinha could do a great job for Lage in Wolves’ midfield, and with Sporting manager Ruben Amorim stating that he is a “special player”, it could be a shrewd move to sign him. Furthermore, a match report from Portuguese outlet A Bola earlier in the season claimed that he “rules midfield“.

The next mission for Wolves is to return to European competition