Mirko Antenucci was a reliable goalscorer at Leeds United – exactly what Wolverhampton Wanderers have been missing.
Leeds United may not have the most fearsome squad in all of the Championship but, when you’ve got a 24-goal centre-forward in your ranks, a successful season is never far away.
As such, The Whites’ decision to discard Italian hitman Mirko Antenucci and rely solely upon the New Zealand frontman looks nothing less than a masterstroke. However, while Leeds will not regret cutting their ties with the 32-year-old, perhaps Championship rivals Wolves will wish they had pulled out all the stops to pick him up on a free last summer.
Tuttomercatoweb reported last May that the Midlands outfit had been put on red alert by news that Antenucci would be leaving Leeds after two years at Elland Road.
However, as Wolves sporting director Kevin Thelwell admitted earlier in the season in an interview with the club’s official Soundcloud, the summer takeover by Fosun International delayed their transfer plans.
“We would have loved the takeover to happen much earlier, it would have given us a much better opportunity to sign players,” he stated.
As such, by the time the Fosun completed their £45 million takeover in July, the BBC reports, Antenucci had already returned to his homeland with newly promoted Serie B outfit SPAL.
And, with just a few weeks of the season to go, Antenucci’s 11 goals in 25 games have inspired his new side to third place in the table, three points of the top with successive promotions in sight.
Wolves, meanwhile, are mired in the Championship no-man’s land. Their three natural strikers, Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, Nouha Dicko and the seldom-seen Paul Gladon, have contributed three goals between them all season.
Therefore, a player of Antenucci’s proven pedigree, backed by 19 goals in two seasons for Leeds, could have made all the difference this season.
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