Wolves have become the brunt of a joke made by Rio Ferdinand as one former player continues to thrive.
It’s difficult to imagine why Wolves would be joked about at this time, given the incredible form that the Old Gold are in.
Vitor Pereira made Premier League history by carrying his side to five league wins in a row, turning the 2024/25 season around tremendously.
Wolves’ 1-0 win over Manchester United confirmed the West Midlands club’s safety from relegation, but surprisingly, it’s a Red Devils legend who has since spoken negatively about the Old Gold.
Rio Ferdinand mocks Wolves’ decision to snub Vitinha
Wolves became a talking point on Rio Ferdinand’s podcast, but not for any reason relating to the club’s recent success.
Ferdinand was discussing Paris Saint-Germain on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast, where former Wolves loanee Vitinha was brought up.
“Vitinha, he couldn’t even get in at Wolves. He weren’t playing at Wolves,” Ferdinand said to Owen Hargreaves, as he laughed at the Old Gold’s snub of the player.
Wolves chose not to sign Vitinha in 2021 after a loan spell, opting to decline the chance to purchase the midfielder for a slim fee of £17m.
The price looks like a bargain now, as Vitinha is regarded as one of Europe’s best, but at the time, a deal just didn’t seem right.
Joao Moutinho’s success impacted Vitinha’s chance to prove himself at Wolves, according to Nuno Espirito Santo, paving the way for the Old Gold to send the loanee back to Porto.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and had Wolves realised the player Vitinha would become, perhaps things would be different, but instead, it was just another case of a near miss.
Vitinha compared to Luka Modric
Vitinha made 19 Premier League appearances for Wolves in the 2020/21 campaign, but only recorded five starts, averaging just 28 minutes per league game.
Though the loanee’s quality was clear, not many would’ve been able to predict what he’d go on to do, with the midfielder now regarded as a talent similar to a Ballon d’Or winner.
“Do you know who he plays like? Modric,” Hargreaves said to Ferdinand when discussing Vitinha.
“He is Modric reincarnated, unreal,” Ferdinand replied.
“Did you ever think we’d see a Modric again? I didn’t, and he [Vitinha] turned up whilst he’s still playing.”
Vitinha’s time at Wolves was uneventful, and now he’s a world-beater at PSG.
It’s funny how football works, with the Portugal international being an example of one that simply got away.