Wolves have a lot of work to do before deadline day with focus now turning to another rumoured target.
There is a week remaining until the transfer window closes, giving Gary O’Neil a magnificent challenge to replenish his squad.
Not only does the manager need to identify replacements for Max Kilman and Pedro Neto, but he has to do it on a budget, as Wolves have limited funds to spend.
It’s not an out-of-the-ordinary situation for O’Neil and it certainly doesn’t seem to be clouding his objectives, with one in-demand target now identified.
Wolves are targeting Fluminense midfielder Andre
The expectation is for O’Neil to set his sights on a winger to replace Neto and a centre-back to replace Kilman, but this isn’t entirely the case.
This week, Wolves’ interest in Fluminense midfielder Andre came to light, as journalist Ben Jacobs reported.
The Old Gold have ‘concrete interest’ in the 23-year-old but a deal is understood to be a ‘long way’ from reaching any agreement.
One familiar stumbling block in Wolves’ pursuit of Andre could be his price tag, which was rumoured to be around the £25m mark when Fulham tried to sign him earlier this summer.
While a deal looks unlikely unless the Midlands club were prepared to sanction further sales, it’s abundantly clear why O’Neil would target a player of the Brazilian’s profile.
It’s clear why Gary O’Neil wants Andre at Wolves
A defensive midfielder by nature, Andre is a superbly rounded asset to Fluminense, with his balanced skill set charming many in Brazil, as scout Antonio Mango once explained.
“He has long been regarded as one of the finest talents in his home country, dominating his area at the base of midfield courtesy of an impressive blend of tough tackling and stellar passing range.”
The Brazil international’s playing style is the key reason why O’Neil is rumoured to be drawn to him, with Andre possessing an approach to play that would thrive in the Premier League.
Interestingly, in a 2023 scouting report of the Wolves target, Breaking The Lines formed a comparison between Andre and two impressive Premier League midfielders.
Classified as being a player ‘consistently compared’ to Joao Gomes and Nottingham Forest’s Danilo, the 23-year-old’s profile certainly fits the mould of a midfielder crafted to excel in the English top flight.
The two Brazilians arrived in the Premier League and quickly made it home, which is something Andre has been backed to do, with Wolves a possible destination for the rising star.
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Wolves fans were concerned that interest in Andre could signal the end of the road for Spurs-linked Gomes at Molineux however, that wouldn’t all be bad news.
As cited by Breaking The Lines, the Fluminense ace is in some areas a carbon copy of Wolves’ pitbull, rising as a perfect replacement for his countryman should he leave the club in the near future.
In an ideal world, Wolves would keep Gomes and sign Andre, where together, they could fuse and become the perfect pivot for the Old Gold for years to come.