Nico Elvedi has signed a new contract with Borussia Monchengladbach after missing out on a move to Premier League outfit Wolverhampton Wanderers – much to the deliught of the Bundesliga club’s head coach.
And, make no mistake, Gladbach could do with him back to his belligerent best; committed and clear-headed.
Gerardo Seoane’s side were 3-0 down at newly-promoted Darmstadt when Nico Elvedi was parachuted in at the interval, and it is no coincidence that they did not concede again in the second-half, fighting back to claim the most unlikely of draws.
Wolves held talks with Elvedi over the summer. But with both clubs poles apart in their valuation of the Switzerland international – Wolves wanted to pay £8 million while Gladbach demanded over £10 million – Kicker reports that negotiations soon collapsed.
And, much to Seoane’s apparent relief, Elvedi has now moved to silence the speculation for good. He extends a contract which was due to expire in less than 12 months’ time.
Wolves miss out on Nico Elvedi
“For me, as a coach, it is of course very positive news,” a delighted Seoane tells Kicker. “This clear commitment naturally supports his chance (to play) in the next few weeks, also with a view to the starting XI.
“He has played an excellent role in the past and is also very important in the dressing room thanks to his experience.”
Wolves brought in Santiago ‘Santi’ Bueno from Girona instead after walking away from Elvedi. Ironically, the Uruguayan arrived at Molineux for precisely the fee Wolves had hoped to pay for Elvedi, a bid of £8.5 million enough to shake hands with the La Liga high-flyers.
Santi Bueno arrives at Molineux instead
“This is a signing we’ve been working on for a while,” says Matt Hobbs, the Wolves chief adding that legendary Uruguay boss Marcelo Bielsa thinks the world of a man who inherits the number four shirt from Nathan Collins at Molineux.
“Uruguay are renowned for producing world class centre backs. At 24, he’s a good age, with a great football education coming through Barcelona B. We were one centre back short, so now we think in that group of four we’ve got a little bit of everything so we’re really happy.
“His personality is one we look for in a player, driven, hungry, hardworking and humble, but with a bit of an edge and can play. He’s a perfect fit for what we’ve been looking for.
“(Bueno is) another right footer, so we’ve got two each now. He’s six foot four inches and aggressive, as you’d expect from a Uruguayan centre back, but he can play too. He’ll be our second youngest centre back, so is also one for the future, whilst being ready to go now.”