La Liga giants Atletico Madrid will let centre-back Felipe leave in January with only a disagreement over the compensation fee stopping Wolves from taking him to the Premier League as things stand, according to Marca.
This, however, feels like little more than a pothole in the road.
There is, to quote Marca, ‘optimism’ that Atletico Madrid and Wolverhampton Wanderers will still end up shaking hands at some point between now and February 1st; veteran defender Felipe expected to become one of, if not the, first signing of the Julen Lopetegui era at Molineux.
Felipe has played just two league games under Diego Simeone in 2022/23. The £15 million signing from FC Porto has made it clear that he wants to leave the Wanda Metropolitano and it seems that no one is planning to stand in his way.
Atletico have already identified a potential replacement in Leicester City’s Caglar Soyuncu. The powerhouse Turk, like Felipe, will be a free-agent in the summer of 2023.
Wolves want Atletico Madrid defender Felipe and La Liga team-mate Matheus Cunha
Marca believe that, as things stand, ‘only a lack of understanding regarding the compensation (fee)’ is keeping Felipe from being unveiled in that Old Gold kit. The battle-scarred 33-year-old is entering the final few months of his contract, and it remains to be seen what sort of a sum Atletico would demand in the January window.
Wolves are also keen on Felipe’s Los Colchoneros team-mate Matheus Cunha. Per The Athletic, a deal for both players would set the Black Country outfit back around £43 million.
TalkSPORT, meanwhile, say that Atletico wanted over £40 million for Cunha over the summer. This may indicate that Felipe can arrive at Molineux for a nominal fee, given his age and contract situation.
Physical, aggressive and highly experienced; Felipe would add some top-flight nous to a Wolves backline which lost Conor Coady and Romain Saiss over the summer. The two-time Brazil international has also won league titles in Spain, Portugal and in his South American homeland.
Lopetegui, meanwhile, has already confirmed his interest in bringing both Cunha and Felipe to Molineux. The Spaniard is also full of praise for the £12 million-rated Argentina international Marcos Acuna; another linked with a move to England in the New Year.
“Both (Matheus) Cunha and Felipe are options to sign in the January transfer window,” Lopetegui explains. “We like them. We are opening up different options. Because the reality is that we have to reinforce the team in different positions.
“(Acuna is also) a player that I like. But we will see what happens.”
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