Wolves have brought in defensive midfielder Leander Dendoncker on a permanent deal ahead of an exciting 2019-20 season, where they will play in the Europa League apart from the FA Cup, League Cup, and Premier League.
Manager Nuno Espírito Santo will want to bring in more new players to bolster the squad and prepare themselves for a tough season.
Wolves are reportedly interested in bringing Inter Milan’s Portuguese midfielder Joao Mario to Molineux next season, with reports suggesting that the 26-year-old could be for sale.
Transfermarketweb are reporting that Monaco and fellow Premier League side Everton, are also keen on signing the Wolves target.
Joao Mario – Profile
Mario previously played for West Ham United in the 2017–18 season, when he was brought in for a loan spell in January 2018, where he played 14 games and scored 2 goals.
The Portuguese international played 22 times for Inter in the 2018-19 season, scoring once and assisting thrice.
He is an important player for the Portuguese national team, having made over 40 appearances since his debut in 2014.
What will Mario add to the Wolves?
Joao Mario is a technically gifted midfielder who can dribble through the midfield, and also spread the ball around with his short and quick passing.
A clever player who can play as a central midfielder, attacking midfielder, or in wide roles, he is quick with the ball at his feet, and can be a very useful box-to-box player.
In the 2018-19 Serie A season, he completed 84.9% of all his passes, completing an average of 35.2 passes per game. He contributes in the defensive side of things, winning 1.4 tackles per game on average.
Mario is a useful player to pair in a three-man midfield as he can pass the ball, join in while the team is attacking, while also pressing and closing down opposition players.
Wolves currently have Leander Dendoncker, Rúben Neves, Romain Saïss and João Moutinho as the midfield options, but the addition of Mario will give manager Nuno Espírito Santo a different sort of player to the ones that he has, and one who could have a lot of freedom in the system that Wolves employ currently.
With several Portuguese players already in the Wolves team, the 26-year-old could settle into the team seamlessly, while his previous Premier League experience with West Ham will help him settle down to the league quickly.