Joao Moutinho’s Wolves contract runs out at the end of the season and it is to be hoped that he decides to extend his stay at Molineux.
A report by the Telegraph underlines that Moutinho wants to spend the latter part of his playing days at Porto, but nothing is decided yet.
They report that contract talks will not get underway until the final weeks of the Premier League season, when Wolves enter the business end of their chase for European football.
They say Moutinho’s future will be a decision made by the player and his family, Bruno Lage and technical director Scott Sellars, with the input of agent Jorge Mendes.
Lage has underlined his desire to keep Moutinho, saying: “He’s very important and the way he plays and trains is the best we can have here. We have a young squad and when you have players who have played in different countries and for the national team like Joao, he is a great example of how a professional should be.
“I really don’t know where he gets the energy from. Even last week we tried to protect him, by making him train for 35 minutes and then go inside – but he refused and wanted to continue.
“We have to manage him but every day he trains hard and wants to win. Even when he’s playing with his kids I’m sure he wants to win too.
“If we make it one against one, or five against five, the mentality is still always to win every time. Of course, we hope he stays.”
Wolves really need Moutinho, especially in light of the sustained underinvestment in the centre of midfield in recent windows.
Losing him for free would be a huge blow and it is not easy at all to bring in a midfielder who can do all that he can offer.
Perhaps European involvement would tip the balance if Wolves can make it into the relevant qualification spots, or maybe the lure of going back to Porto would just be too strong.
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