Wolves’ Premier League misfit Goncalo Guedes will have to wait until next summer to find out if Benfica are willing to turn his loan deal into a permanent transfer.
And who can blame the Portuguese giants, really, for being a little wary?
Goncalo Guedes, after all, has played only 48 minutes of football this season, returning to Lisbon for a second spell in Benfica colours on the back of a dismal season at Wolves.
Guedes, earlier this month, told Jornal de Noticias that he would relish the chance to put pen to paper on a long-term deal at Benfica. Any decision over his future will be placed on the backburner until the end of the current campaign, however, with the Primeira Liga challengers giving the winger plenty of time to rediscover the form and the fitness which made him such a hit during his maiden stint at the Estadio da Luz (JN).
Goncalo Guedes not keen on Wolves return
“I always had the idea of staying,” Guedes explains. “After speaking with those responsible (for recruitment), the negotiations went very well. I hope, if I can, to stay here longer.”
The fifth-most expensive signing in Wolves’ history, Guedes arrived at Molineux for a cool £27 million last summer following a superb season at Valencia.
The explosive pace and fierce ball-striking which caught the eye in Spain, however, was conspicuous by it’s absence in Old Gold, Guedes’ fitful displays seeing him quickly fall out of favour once Julen Lopetegui replaced Bruno Lage in the hotseat.
‘I hope to stay here’
“He wanted to go out,” Lopetegui said following Guedes’ departure on an initial short-term loan deal (Shropshire Star).
“Of course, we wish him the best. He’s a good guy and a very good player, I think he’s going to be happier there and we wish him all the best. Goncalo wanted to leave, and you cannot have players that are not happy here.
“He is our player, but now he is on loan at Benfica. What happens in the future, I don’t know.”