Premier League newcomers Wolverhampton Wanderers were understood to be interested in Uruguay starlet Giorgian De Arrascaeta before the World Cup.
Giorgian De Arrascaeta headed to Russia as one of Uruguay’s great hopes. But he was left on the sidelines as Oscar Tabarez’s steely side embarked on an impressive run to the quarter-finals, only to be defeated by eventual tournament winners France.
In the end, De Arrascaeta featured just twice in the World Cup as he appeared to pay for a poor performance against Saudi Arabia in the opening game. The 24-year-old was subbed off on the hour after a rather ineffectual display and was not included in Uruguay’s starting XI again.
So it remains to be seen whether the Cruzeiro creator has missed his chance of a move to one of Europe’s major leagues.
UOL Esporte claimed in May that Wolverhampton Wanderers were keen on De Arrascaeta, as were 2017 Ligue 1 champions Monaco. The fleet-footed attacking midfielder is understood to have a release clause in his contract worth £26.3 million, meaning he is certainly within budget for Wolves.
But it is perhaps telling that the rumours have dried up since De Arrascaeta’s underwhelming display in the 5-0 thrashing of Saudi Arabia. He ended up being comfortably overshadowed by his nation’s other breakout stars, such as Lucas Torreira and Diego Laxalt.
De Arrascaeta might be one of the most exciting attacking talents in Brazilian domestic football, renowned for his rapid dribbling and ability to breeze past opposition defenders. But, while the World Cup was supposed to be his big platform, it seems a failure to live up to expectations means he might have to wait for that move to Europe.
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