Wolverhampton Wanderers were keen to bring Matt Clarke to Molineux before he signed a new deal with League One giants Portsmouth.
Runaway Championship leaders Wolves are not only interested in signing Portuguese prodigies.
Since Chinese owners Fosun International took over at Molineux and super-agent Jorge Mendes started pulling the recruitment strings, the likes of Diogo Jota, Ruben Neves and Ivan Cavaleiro have made eye-catching moves to the Black Country.
And with Wolves 12 points clear at the top of the table and hurtling towards the Premier League at breakneck speed, it is fair to say the influx of Iberian talent has had the desired effect.
But it seems that Wolves are also in the market for young, homegrown talents, too. They were linked with a number of highly-rated prospects plying their trade lower down the Football League in January and it appears there is a trend developing here.
Wolves completed the signing of 20-year-old Coventry City midfielder Ben Stevenson on transfer deadline day before immediately sending him out on loan to Colchester United.
The Mirror also stated that Wolves had been closely watching Cambridge United’s 23-year-old forward Jevani Brown while the Fleetwood United goalkeeper Billy Crellin was also linked with a switch to Molineux last month.
The 21-year-old centre-back has impressed since signing from Ipswich Town in August 2015, and his form this season has seen him emerge as one of the most impressive and sought-after defensive talents in the Football League. A move to Wolves looks unlikely for now, however, as Clarke has committed his future to Pompey until 2020.
But it is interesting to note that, for all their money and pulling power, Wolves are still looking to the next generation of English talent.
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