Vitor Pereira has only been at Wolves for three months, but the manager has already delivered one of the Premier League’s best signings.
Pereira replaced Gary O’Neil at the helm in December, enduring a record-breaking start as Wolves remained unbeaten in the manager’s first three games.
The Old Gold haven’t looked back since the Portuguese coach arrived, steering Wolves away from the relegation zone by implementing a higher standard within the squad.
As well as raising the levels on the pitch, Pereira orchestrated a strong January transfer window at Wolves, welcoming three players to bolster his side.
Emmanuel Agbadou dubbed ‘signing of the season’
Without a doubt, the most successful capture of Pereira’s was signing Emmanuel Agbadou from Stade Reims.
Agbadou has earned high praise since signing for Wolves, with the glowing reviews coming week-by-week, with another provided after the win over Ipswich.
Speaking from Portman Road after the victory, Express and Star reporters Liam Keen and Nathan Judah waxed lyrical about Agbadou.
“He’s one of the signings of the season,” Judah said of the Ivorian centre-back.
“He looks like he’s played in the Premier League for five or six seasons, he looks so comfortable.”
Keen echoed Judah’s evaluation of Agbadou, lauding Wolves’ recruitment team for acquiring the defender for just £16.6m.
“He’s a fantastic signing, the club and the recruitment team deserve a lot of credit for bringing him in.
“Remember, as well, they tried to go for Kevin Danso. All of a sudden they come across this player who has been magnificent. Massively, massively, impressed. Once again, stood tall to the test of Delap, which is a tough test.”
Agbadou is performing among the Premier League’s best
Judah described Agbadou as one of the signings of the season, which can be supported by the Ivory Coast international’s numbers since joining Wolves.
Agbadou ranks highly amongst Premier League defenders, being the second-best performer in the English top flight with regard to his rate of ball recoveries per game.
The centre-back is also one of the best in the business when it comes to tackling and clearances, asserting his dominance in the West Midlands from the moment he arrived.
Wolves acquired an animal in Agbadou in January, handing Pereira the no-nonsense centre-back the Old Gold had been craving for some time.