With Wolves announcing the signing of Rui Patrício, Monday night saw reaction in Portugal.
All the local media is covering the move, as it turns out to be a big blow for Sporting, who are losing the club captain for free after his request to have his contract rescinded.
But the Lions are expected to fight back, and this was a subject on TVI24. Journalist Pedro Sousa made a few comments on the matter, starting the themes off which will likely run in the Portuguese press.
He claims Sporting president Bruno de Carvalho will ‘try to defend the club’s interests’, which means stopping Patrício to leaving for free. The legal battle should start in July, when the Premier League will contact the Portuguese FA to confirm the transfer.
Something interesting claimed by Sousa is that Wolves would still be available to pay a fee for Patrício’s transfer.
According to the journalist, Wolves say, or tell people to say, that they would still pay €18m for the goalkeeper, just like they had agreed with Sporting before the deal collapsed. The Championship winners would do it in order to avoid a legal process, and get the move sorted once for all.
That means money isn’t a problem for the club, as all they want is Patrício protecting their goal next season.
