Gary O’Neil has just seen why Wolves pushed hard to sign Andre on deadline day.
The Brazilian arrived in the dying embers of the summer transfer window from Fluminense, signing for £21m.
Andre almost signed for a different club, with plenty of admirers from the Premier League eyeing the 23-year-old’s services.
Instead, it was Matt Hobbs who got the deal over the line, something that O’Neil will be thankful for after what the Wolves signing did on international duty.
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Andre shone on international duty for Brazil
In the early hours of Saturday morning, Brazil took on Ecuador in the World Cup Qualifiers.
It was far from a glamorous performance from the Selecao, who won the game 1-0 thanks to a goal courtesy of Real Madrid’s Rodrygo.
While the match-winner was amongst the top performers on the night, so was Andre, who was handed a start in midfield alongside Newcastle United’s Bruno Guimaraes.
Battling Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo in midfield, it was Andre who looked like the £115m man, putting in a stellar shift for his country.
It was a night of near perfection for the Wolves signing, who recorded a 95% pass completion rate, completed 100% of his long balls and 100% of his attempted dribbles, via Sofascore.
The 23-year-old also won 100% of his ground duels and 100% of his aerial duels, being a ‘solid’ member of the midfield, as per Brazilian outlet Zero Hora.
Zero Hora weren’t the only Brazilian publication to rave over Andre’s display, as Globo Esporte branded the midfielder as ‘the best on the pitch’ for the Selecao.
Gary O’Neil will be excited to see Andre in action for Wolves
If O’Neil had seen Andre in action for his country against Ecuador, the Wolves boss would have been left thrilled with the prospect of integrating the midfielder into his side.
It was a masterclass in distribution and tackling from the deadline day signing, who was Brazil’s metronome in the middle of the park.
Globo Esporte’s comments on the 23-year-old provided O’Neil with added insight into how the talent operates at his best, as journalist Cahe Mota wrote:
“The best on the pitch. He brought balance to a team that struggled to build up the attack, but did not suffer defensively.
“Whether it was getting lower to get the ball at the defender’s feet or more in the big circle, André was the one who most verticalized the actions in search of space.
“He kept the game moving forward in a Brazil that stamped a lot of the ball and gave Ecuador time to recover.”
It’s certainly an exciting way for Andre to introduce himself to those at Molineux, as well as making a statement on the international stage.
The former Fluminense ace was replaced by Joao Gomes five minutes from time, with Wolves fans still waiting to see the duo in action.
Given what was seen from Andre against Ecuador, O’Neil will be very hopeful of bringing the best out of the summer arrival in the Premier League.