Wolverhampton Wanderers fans were probably caught by surprise today, as the Portuguese media reported they are close to making a €10m signing before the end of the season.
As reported by A Bola, Wolves are bringing Pelé from Portuguese side Rio Ave, with the midfielder arriving to play in the Premier League for the club.
But perhaps we shouldn’t be shocked by this move, because the links between the West Midlands’ side and Pelé have been reported for some time now.
The rumours date back to the summer of 2016. The Mendes era was just starting, and newspaper A Bola reported that the super agent would be bringing four players to Wolves: Ivan Cavaleiro, Helder Costa, Sílvio and Pelé.
Except for Pelé, the other three did complete the move. Cavaleiro and Costa were even both crucial in the Championship title campaign, while Silvio only had a short spell at the club.
A month after those rumours, newspaper O Jogo came out to reveal the reason Pelé’s transfer didn’t happen. The midfielder had a fracture on his metatarsal, so the move was called off.
Now in case the signing is confirmed, it means Wolves have never given up on their target, as they were just waiting for him to recover. They were patient enough to watch Pelé switch clubs, as he belonged to Benfica at the time, and now plays for Rio Ave.
Regarding that first A Bola story from 2016, that was spot on. Hats off to that.
