Wolves forward Daniel Podence has been offered to Real Betis by agent Jorge Mendes but the La Liga outfit cannot afford the £8.5 million fee required.
It feels like quite a while now since Daniel Podence and Pedro Neto were tearing the Premier League apart in Old Gold, that 2-1 comeback victory over Chelsea back in December 2020 becoming something of a galling reminder of what might have been.
Both Podence and Neto scored in that pulsating triumph at Molineux. But with injury issues and inconsistency plaguing both players over the preceding two-and-a-half years, Podence’s departure may be met not with cries of derision but with a resigned sigh of acceptance.
Wolves’ number ten has just one year left on his contract.
And with the Wanderers operating on a restricted budget this summer due to ongoing Financial Fair Play concerns, it is unlikely the Molineux outfit would stand in Podence’s way should anyone be willing to meet his reported £8.5 million asking price.
Wolves could sell Daniel Podence
Such a fee, however, appears to be beyond Real Betis.
According to Mundo Deportivo, super-agent Jorge Mendes has ‘offered’ Podence to a Betis side who have thrown open their arms for many a Premier League misfit in recent years; Ayoze Perez, Hector Bellerin and the incoming Marc Roca, to name but three.
Betis, however, are currently looking for more affordable options. Wolves allegedly want around 10 million euros, with Manuel Pellegrini’s Los Verdiblancos instead setting their sights on Barcelona starlets Alex Collado and Abde Ezalzouli.
Podence, despite concerns over his form, was still Wolves’ joint-record goalscorer last term; netting six times in the Premier League. He found starts increasingly hard to come by in the spring, however, with Julen Lopetegui preferring to utilise Matheus Nunes in a wider role.
Wolves may also look to bring in long-time target Dario Osorio from Universidad de Chile.
Osorio, who came close to joining last summer, is likely to leave the Chilean outfit sooner rather than later, according to Universidad’s sporting director.