Wolves could do with an extra sprinkling of quality in midfield and the 24-year-old has that in abundance.
Understandably, the stream of Portuguese-based imports at Molineux has divided Wolves fans. It’s also had a mixed effect on results, with the nine-game winless run between September and early December owing much to the lack of Championship nous within the Iberian-infused squad.
Nonetheless, Paul Lambert has the electric form of Helder Costa (below) and the improving former Benfica youngster Ivan Cavaleiro to thank for a return to winning ways against Nottingham Forest at the weekend.
Therefore, the prospect of yet another arrival from Liga Nos will inevitably induce very different responses depending on which side of the fence you’re currently situated.
Though, in Porto’s 24-year-old enforcer Sergio Oliveira, a sturdy, powerful central midfielder with an expansive passing range, Wolves would be signing a player who appears a perfect fit for the English game.
Like club-record signing Cavaleiro, all-action all-rounder Oliveira was a key figure in the Portuguese Under-23 side’s impressive run to the European Championship final in 2015, thrashing the much-vaunted German youth side 5-0 en route.
A year and a half on, however, he is no closer to regular club football, having played just 20 minutes of league action all season, with A Bola reporting that Stoke City and Crystal Palace are watching his progress, or lack of, with interest.
However, this is where having a man like Jorge Mendes on board helps. The eminent super-agent was the guiding hand in Costa and Cavaleiro’s surprising summer moves to Molineux and, due to his connections within the Portuguese game, the Championship strugglers may have the upper hand on their deep-pocketed Premier League counterparts.
Powerful yet elegant, Oliveira’s considerable talents are being wasted in the Porto reserves and, with injuries to Price Oniangue and Lee Evans reducing the options at Paul Lambert’s disposal, Wolves could do worse than to make a move for Portugal’s Under-23 captain in January.
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