Premier League outfit Wolverhampton Wanderers were linked with Olympiakos’ Champions League hero Daniel Podence.
Daniel Podence comes alive against English opposition.
It was Olympiakos’ jet-heeled forward who ended Burnley’s Europa League dreams at the qualification phase a year ago, firing a brilliant finish into the roof of the net after running The Clarets defence ragged at Turf Moor.
And, 13 months on, Tottenham Hotspur were feeling the force of a player who, while small in size, tends to have a big impact on the European stage.
Podence caused Spurs no end of problems during a dramatic 2-2 Champions League draw at a raucous Karaiskakis Stadium on Wednesday night.
He floated around the pitch like a carrier bag caught in a breeze before racing towards goal with pace and purpose. It was Podence’s clinical finish before half time, drilled into the far corner after a typically thrusting run, which paved the way for a stunning Olympiakos fightback.
On this evidence, it’s no wonder why Wolverhampton Wanderers had identified the former Sporting Lisbon prospect as a potential summer signing, according to Fos Online. Podence, as you might have guessed, is another Jorge Mendes client.
And if Podence is capable of tearing Burnley and Tottenham to shreds on the continent, there’s no reason why he can’t do the same week in week out in the Premier League.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s system appears perfectly suited for a flitting forward who loves to drift between the lines. Comparisons will inevitably be drawn with Podence’s compatriot Diogo Jota and with good reason – both are quick, incisive and capable of finding the net from anywhere around the box.
And Podence’s ability to play off a mobile targetman like Miguel Angel Guerrero, suggests that Wolves’ Mexican maestro Raul Jimenez could be the perfect foil for a player who looks tailor made for Premier League football.
Don’t be surprised if Mendes introduces Molineux to another exciting Iberian in the near future.
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