Wolves pulled off an impressive January transfer window but, Vitor Pereira still missed out on several top targets.
Deadline day was dramatic at Molineux, as the Old Gold welcomed Nasser Djiga and Marshall Munetsi.
The duo joined Emmanuel Agbadou to round off Pereira’s first transfer window as Wolves manager but, they weren’t the only players the Portuguese wanted to land.
Wolves missed out on Manu Silva and later in the window, had their deal for Kevin Danso hijacked by Tottenham.
Aside from the two stars who chose other clubs, there was another failure, as Wolves made contact with Renato Veiga from Chelsea.
Wolves target Renato Veiga stars on Champions League debut
Wolves fans wanted to see Veiga arrive at Molineux in January on loan from Chelsea however, a move was not meant to be.
The versatile 21-year-old would’ve been perfect for what the Wolves squad need, being capable of playing in defensive midfield and in central defence.
Veiga was close to joining Borussia Dortmund but, instead sealed a move to Juventus, where he has since made a rapid start to life in Turin.
In the Champions League round of 16 play-off first leg, Pereira was shown just what he’s missing by not signing Veiga, who was instrumental in his tournament debut against PSV Eindhoven.
| Renato Veiga vs PSV Eindhoven |
| 90 minutes played |
| 3 clearances |
| 1 block |
| 89% passing accuracy |
| 10 long balls |
| 100% dribbles completed |
As seen above, the 21-year-old showed no sign of weakness at the back for Juve, failing to shy away from making his presence known, completing 10 long balls as well as being solid defensively.
Having seen what the Chelsea loanee is capable of, Wolves will be kicking themselves but, will have another shot at signing the player in the summer if they can ward off competition.
Veiga earns rave reviews for Juventus
It’s not only Wolves who will be impressed by what Veiga has been doing since his move to Turin, as Italian media made their thoughts on the defender known post-match.
Calcio Mercato said, “The performance tells us why Motta is making these choices. Veiga knows how to be tough when needed. Above all, he knows how to set up.”
Such high praise was echoed by Football Italia, who handed the Portuguese ace a 7/10 match rating.
“Pumped up the fans early in the game. Looked confident on the ball and one-v-one duels,” they said.
Wolves missed out on Veiga narrowly but, hope will remain that the Old Gold can explore a deal for the 21-year-old in the summer although, his strong start will only make things harder.