Chiquinho reveals Wolverhampton Wanderers were not in favour of his move to Sporting in 2024.
Saturday’s edition of Record has published an interview with the FC Alverca player, who talks about his time at Molineux.
Wolves signed the winger from Estoril Praia in January 2022 for a reported fee of £2.9m excluding bonuses.
He ended up playing 203 minutes from eight Premier League matches in the second half of the 2021/22 season, contributing three assists.
Record asked the 26-year-old how his move to Wolves took shape. Responding to that, he said: “In January [2022], I had a game against FC Porto. We were winning 2-0, but it ended 3-2 for them. I felt I could give more and the next day I found out about the negotiations.
“Three days later, I was being called up for a Premier League game. I spent most of the game looking at the stands!”
Struggles at Wolves
The Portuguese player suffered a serious injury in a pre-season friendly in July 2022, forcing him to spend close to a year on the sidelines. This meant he had to miss the 2022/23 season.
After he regained full fitness, Chiquinho couldn’t find a place at the Premier League side, who sent him on a season-long loan deal to Stoke City in July 2023. Wolves recalled him after he played only four times for the Potters.
However, he had no place at Molineux as the English club immediately sent him on loan again to Famalicão in September 2023. Wolves let him spend last season on loan at RCD Mallorca and prior to that, Sporting wanted to sign him.
Sporting wanted Chiquinho
In July 2024, Sport Witness relayed news from Portugal of the Lions’ interest in the attacker. Gary O’Neill was then the manager at Wolves and included Chiquinho in the pre-season squad.
Record were curious to know why he ended up at Mallorca instead of the Portuguese club. When responding to that, he opens up on why his move to Sporting didn’t go through.
“There was interest from Sporting, Mallorca, several clubs,” Chiquinho explained.
“I was having a good pre-season, but the manager didn’t want to let me leave, saying I would be an important player. But it got to a point where neither I nor Wolverhampton were in agreement.
“Mallorca came in during the last days of the transfer window and, as my head was a little more there than here, I decided to leave.”
Our take: Wolves’ mistake blocking Sporting move
Chiquinho’s contract at Wolves expired at the end of last season and left them as a free agent. This allowed Alverca to sign him for free in July 2025.
The Premier League side could have probably earned a fee through his sale to Sporting in the summer of 2024.
However, their decision to not let him join the Primeira Liga side now seems more like a mistake. This move could have benefited all parties or at least Wolves and the player.
