Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolverhampton Wanderers were expected to conclude a straightfoward deal to bring Nelson Oliveira back to the Premier League.
Wolverhampton Wanderers could miss out on Nelson Oliveira after refusing to raise their initial bid for the AEK Athens talisman, according to Page News.
Just a few days ago, it seemed only a matter of time before a former Swansea City, Nottingham Forest and Norwich striker sealed his return to English football.
Wolves were expected to wrap up a deal for another Portugal international with Oliveira set to leave Greece behind and offer some much-needed competition for Raul Jimenez in Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad.
But, according to Page News, things are a lot less certain now. They claim that Wolves are reluctant to increase their offer for a man who has scored ten goals in 21 games this season.
Oliveira has a very affordable £6 million release clause in his AEK contract but their initial bid fell short of that amount (The Sun, 21 January, page 53).
Wolves’ stance is a little surprisingly, however, given that they have the sort of financial firepower that most clubs can only dream of these days. And £6 million is hardly an eye-watering fee for a striker who is in the form of his life with a goal every two games on average.
With Nuno’s high-flyers looking to finish in the Premier League’s top six this season as well as reach the latter stages of the Europa League, Wolves could rue their stance over Oliveira. They have already left themselves short up front after selling Patrick Cutrone to Fiorentina earlier this month.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
