Premier League duo Everton and Wolves have been handed a boost in their pursuit of Shakhtar Donetsk’s Pedrinho with Sao Paulo ruling out a deal, as reported by ESPN.
The legendary Arrigo Sacchi memorably called our beautiful game ‘the most important of all the unimportant things in life’.
So while football pales into insignificance as the Russia – Ukraine conflict casts a shadow over European soil, it’s influence can be felt not only on society as a whole but on sport too.
On Monday, FIFA released a statement, announcing that players contracted to Russian and Ukrainian clubs can break their contracts, allowing them to join foreign clubs on free transfers.
£18 million Brazil U23 international Pedrinho has offers on the table from Everton and Wolverhampton Wanderers, as reported by Gazeta Esportiva.
A move to Molineux would see Pedrinho reunite with Bruno Lage. The Wolves boss brought him for Benfica two years ago after all.
The twinkle-toed playmaker has also been linked with a return to his native Brazil. But, after former employers Corinthians ruled out a move, so to have Sao Paulo.
Is Shakhtar Donetsk’s Pedrinho heading to the Premier League?
“I spoke to Pedrinho, yes,” admits Rogerio Ceni, the goalscoring-goalkeeper-turned-manager.
“I didn’t speak for half an hour, as his agent said. I can even show the time of the call here on my cell phone. It was 3 minutes and 10 seconds. I really like him, I think he’s a very good player. But I don’t have interest in having him at Sao Paulo.
“Despite liking him a lot, and finding a very beautiful player…
“I talked to him. But, today, I have no interest in working with him at Sao Paulo.”
Guus Til, the 19-goal Dutch international currently on loan at Feyenoord, is also a target for Everton and Wolves. Til is contracted to Spartak Moscow but could have his deal at the Russian giants torn up.
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