Wolves defender Romain Saiss has heaped praise on Fernando Marcal, branding the Brazilian ‘quality’ in both defence and attack.
Marcal joined the pack as one of the first arrivals of the international window, costing just £1.8 million from Lyon, who made the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2019/20.
With Jonny nursing an ACL injury, the South American was signed as cover, but can also operate as a left-sided centre-back as demonstrated so brilliantly at Lyon.
At 31, Marcal brings a wealth of experience to Molineux, and his value is certainly not lost on Saiss.
The £22,000-a-week star (Spotrac) said of his new teammate (quoted by the Express & Star): “He has quality as a defender and as an offensive player also. It’s good for the team, and good for me on the left side.
“He’s strong defensively and he likes to play forward. He wants to bring something in the game offensively. It’s good for the team because we lost Jonny.
“He’s so good on his left side, so I enjoy playing with him and, for him, I hope that it’s just the beginning.”
Marcal can be Wolves’ best bargain buy
Marcal can only be judged off of the 90minutes he got against Sheffield United, but the signs were pretty good at Bramall Lane.
He was not spectacular by any stretch of the imagination, but he sure was solid and that’s definitely something that’ll be needed.
The £1.8 million fee means there is real potential for Marcal to be viewed as the club’s best bargain signing come the end of the season.
Hopefully, he can consistently produce a level like he did against the Blades, and he and Saiss can forge a strong partnership on that left side – clearly he’s made an impression on the Moroccon already which is good.