Why Vitor Ferreira would be a good signing for Wolves
According to Express and Star, Wolves have secured the services of young midfielder Vitor Ferreira on a season-long loan deal from FC Porto. As per the report, the 20-year-old is expected to sign for the West Midlands outfit in the coming days after completing his U-21 international duty with Portugal.
Wolves have also negotiated an optional purchase clause with Porto for Ferreira that could see him join Nuno Santo’s brigade permanently for a fee of around £17.9million next summer.
The Premier League club recently completed a club-record £35million raid on Porto for highly-rated 18-year-old striker Fabio Silva and a loan deal for Vitor Ferreira represents a second successive raid on the Portuguese heavyweights.
Profile
Vitor Ferreira, also known as Vitinho, joined Porto’s youth system back in 2011 and caught the eye with his rapid rise through the ranks. A part of the club’s triumphant 2018-19 UEFA Youth League squad, the 20-year-old was promoted to Porto’s B team in the Portuguese second-tier last summer.
The Portuguese U-21 international eventually made his first-team debut for Porto against Gil Vicente in January 2020. The talented attacking midfielder finished the 2019-20 campaign with 12 appearances as Sergio Conceicao’s side won the Primeira Liga and Taca de Portugal.
Ferreira would add more depth to Wolves’ midfield
Wolves are currently crying out for some quality cover in central midfield, especially in the creative department, where Joao Moutinho remains the only reliable option for Nuno Santo.
The Portuguese veteran featured 57 times in all competitions last season, scoring once and supplying 13 assists. The Midlands outfit finished 7th in the PL and reached the quarter-final of the Europa League. However, with Moutinho set to turn 34 in the coming months, Wolves need to start reducing the workload on his shoulders.
Ruben Neves also played 54 games last season, which is yet another galling reflection of the lack of quality alternatives available at the manager’s disposal in the middle of the park.
Leander Dendoncker remains another key player but with Nuno often using the Belgian as a part of his backline, it goes without saying that Wolves need another attack-minded central midfielder to ensure healthy competition for places. Plus, the departure of Morgan Gibbs-White on loan to Swansea has further depleted the squad depth.
Putting things into context, a promising young midfielder like Vitor Ferreira is a handy move by Wolves to strengthen their midfield ahead of the congested 2020-21 PL campaign. The 20-year-old only made a handful of appearances in his breakthrough season at Porto last term. But he continues to be held in high regard as a quality young talent in his homeland.
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Verdict
Vitor Ferreira is capable of playing in withdrawn and attacking roles through the centre, thus making him a lucrative prospect for Wolves in the summer window. The Black County outfit have another promising young midfielder in Bruno Jordao. So it will be interesting to see where Ferreira stands in Nuno Santo’s pecking order.
Also, Wolves wouldn’t have much to regret if Ferreira fails to make an impact, given that it’s only a loan deal.
