According to A Bola, Wolves are still interested in signing Portugal U21 international Andre Almeida, but the Premier League team has not yet agreed to Vitoria Guimaraes' £9 million asking price.
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The need to bring in a new center midfielder for the Black Country has lessened recently because Joao Moutinho's contract is still being finalized and offers for Ruben Neves aren't exactly pouring in.
However, the men from Molineux are still very much in the running for his 22-year-old compatriot despite passing up the chance to sign Joao Palhinha before his £18 million move to Fulham.
The Express and Star claim that Bruno Lage has changed his focus from being a defensive midfielder to one who is more attack-minded. And Almeida checks off many boxes for a club with a strong track record of acquiring players of Portugal's next generation: he is assured, mobile, smooth, and a good ball carrier.
Almeida and Vitinha share more aesthetic similarities than Neves or Moutinho, the former Wolves loanee who this week joined PSG for £34 million. He is agile, quick on his feet, and capable of quickly switching from defense to attack.
Is Vitinha 2.0 the Wolves' Andre Almeida?
Picture provided by DeFodi Images/Diogo Cardoso Images
The 22-year-old has been in discussions with Wolverhampton Wanderers since May. Vitoria is being pushed to sell, but the Primeira Liga team won't lower its £9 million asking price. A demand Wolves have yet to meet.
According to Antonio Miguel Cardoso, president of the company, "We have had some approaches for him." The values indicated, however, "remain far below what we believe to be the player's true value."
Only one year is left on Almeida's contract. The youngster's contract does not have an extension clause that Vitoria may activate because doing so would require the club to exceed its wage cap.
Additionally, Jorge Pires, the agency for Almeida, enjoys a cordial working relationship with Jorge Mendes, the super-agent from Portugal who exerts significant influence over Wolves' hiring practices.
Champions FC Porto of Portugal are also interested.
the image was taken by Jose Manuel Alvarez and was obtained through Getty Images.
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