Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Bruno Lage has urged Patrick Cutrone to prove himself at Molineux.
The new head coach has been running the rule over his players over the last few weeks.
He has been able to get a particularly good look at Cutrone.
The Italian featured regularly in pre-season, and scored one goal against Real Betis.
It was somewhat surprising to see Cutrone feature as much as he did.
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His future has been up in the air since the end of last season.
He did an interview and suggested he was looking for a new club.
He also met his representative whilst out in Marbella.
But Lage has said (Express & Star): “Even the game against Stoke, I said to Cutrone ‘You are here two years, every time on loan, but the fans are singing your song, so you need to prove something on the pitch’.
“If you want to change something it’s not the change I give to you in training and in games, the people, you never play here and you have a song. They’re waiting for you. It’s true. Go there and show something for the people, that’s the job.”
An interesting turn of events
It is going to be very interesting to see what happens from here.
Cutrone said what he said, but Lage clearly sees some value in him having watched him over pre-season.
Given Lage does like to use two strikers sometimes, there is a chance of Cutrone getting decent game time in 2021/22.
Perhaps the Italian will now stick around to experience life under Lage, and give it one last push to make his Wolves move a success.