New Benfica coach Roger Schmidt is delighted after the Portuguese giants fought off Premier League competition to land £18 million Wolves target Enzo Fernandez, speaking to Record.
While Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Leeds, Crystal Palace and even newly-promoted Nottingham Forest have exploded out of the blocks this summer, Wolverhampton Wanderers continue to clatter headfirst into hurdle after hurdle.
Did anyone say ‘glue factory’?
Arsenal nabbed Marquinhos from under their nose in rather acrimonious circumstances. Joao Palhinha – an object of Wolves’ affections for over two years – will join Fulham.
And, just a few days after reports from Brazil suggested that Wolves were set to trigger the £18 million release clause in Enzo Fernandez’s contract, it emerged that the River Plate midfielder would be joining Bruno Lage’s old employers rather than his current ones.
Benfica snatch Wolves target Enzo Fernandez
“Of course we are very happy that he has joined us,” says Schmidt.
Benfica secured Fernandez on a long-term deal missing out on Schmidt’s old PSV playmaker Mario Gotze to Eintracht Frankfurt.
“(Enzo) is very talented,” the former Bayer Leverkusen boss adds.
Mathew Hobbs, Wolves’ chief scout and head of recruitment, was due to meet with the River Plate bosses a fortnight ago in order to negotiate a deal for an all-action midfield enforcer(Ole). One dubbed the finest footballer in the whole of Argentina.
Instead, Fernandez will become the latest in a long line of Albiceleste footballers to pull on the dark red shirt of Benfica. He follows in the footsteps of Angel di Maria, Pablo Aimar, Nicolas Otamendi, Javier Saviola and Nico Gaitan.
With Ruben Neves’ potentially still departing – could he replace Frenkie de Jong at Barcelona? – and with Joao Moutinho and Leander Dendoncker facing uncertain futures too, Wolves’ midfield options look worryingly threadbare with their Premier League opener against Leeds United just over a month away.
Guilherme Guedes, meanwhile, is joining La Liga newcomers Almeria. That is after Wolves held talks with the Vitoria Guimaraes youngster.
But hey, at least a new defender could arrive in the shape of Corinthians youngster Robert Renan.
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