Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly set to pay Sporting Lisbon a fee for goalkeeper Rui Patricio.
Matt Murray knows what it takes to be a goalkeeper at Wolverhampton Wanderers. So he is well placed to judge the impact Rui Patricio has made at Molineux.
Newly promoted Wolves caught the eye when they brought Portugal’s number one to the Black Country in the summer transfer window, the 76-capped veteran arriving alongside his fellow Iberian internationals Joao Moutinho, Ruben Neves and Diogo Jota.
And Patricio has certainly made an impression. He has started all eight Premier League games so far and kept four clean sheets in his debut season in English football.
Wolves signed Patricio on an initial free transfer after he rescinded his contract at Sporting Lisbon over the summer, after the Primeira Liga side’s training ground was reportedly attacked by a group of masked individuals.
Sporting want compensation, however, and A Bola have claimed that Wolves are willing to belatedly pay £15.8 million.
Speaking to the Express and Star, Murray still believes Patricio is a bargain in this day and age.
“I’m looking at the current transfer market and the saves Patricio has made and it’s a good deal,” said former academy graduate Murray.
“The games he has had for Wolves so far show that he will be absolutely fantastic for them in the Premier League.
“Patricio can make those big saves that get you points – that tip on to the bar against Manchester City was world class. His distribution is very good, too. He looks in great nick.
“If he ends leaving on a free after four years having helped keep Wolves in the Premier League, which I think he will, then he’ll have definitely been worth it.”
When you consider that Chelsea and Liverpool paid in excess of £60 million to sign Kepa and Alisson Becker in the same transfer window, £15.8 million for a truly top drawer shot-stopper like Patricio is outstanding value for money.
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