It has been a tough season for Wolverhampton Wanderers for several reasons, not least because they are struggling for survival and are currently in the midst of a relegation battle. With that being said, new manager Vitor Pereira has earned them some crucial points so far.
In a season such as the one Wolves are having, it is crucial that all the squad are on board and united. However, that is not the case for former club captain Mario Lemina, who was recently dropped from the squad after revealing he wanted to leave. Pereira explained after the recent 3-1 loss to Chelsea “he is out until the end of the market has closed”.
Wolves’ potential replacement for Lemina, Manu Silva had been lined up, but the deal fell through last week.
Why the Manu Silva deal collapsed
It was a frustrating week at Molineux, with the future of Lemina still up in the air and seemingly his replacement ready to put pen to paper and sign on the dotted line. Manu Silva, a 23-year-old defensive midfielder previously of Portuguese side Vitoria Guimaraes, seemed destined to play for the Old Gold.
However, at the last minute, the £10m deal they had agreed for the young midfielder was hijacked by Portuguese giants Benfica. As talkSPORT explained, Aguias ‘swooped in at the last minute’ and convinced him to stay in his homeland. Benfica, managed by former Wolves boss Bruno Lage, can offer Champions League football, which is hard to turn down.
It was certainly a blow for Wolves to miss out on the talented 23-year-old, who already has plenty of experience at first-team level. This term for Vitoria Guimaraes, he has featured 28 times, with four goals and two assists to his name.
A £10m, it would have been a steal for someone with such high potential, and already brilliant ability for the base of their midfield. As per FBref, he averages 4.54 tackles and interceptions per game, the top 9% of midfielders in leagues similar in quality to the Portuguese top-flight.
As good of a signing as Silva would have been, the Old Gold still have depth in midfield, including someone whose transfer value is far more than what they would have paid for the youngster.
Wolves' current midfield star at Molineux
The player in question here is Brazilian star Andre. He joined the club just last summer, for a fee of £18.5m up front, a value that has now risen to more than double the amount they almost paid for Silva this month.
Andre is now worth over two times Silva, specifically £21m according to Transfermarkt, which already shows great investment from the Old Gold. However, it seems like the “sensational” star, as football statistician Statman Dave described him, might only get more expensive if he continues to be a key man in the top flight.
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He has heavily featured so far for the club this term. Andre has played 18 times across all competitions, with 17 of those appearances coming in the Premier League. Under Pereira, he has started five games out of five matchday squads he has been involved in.
Indeed, given some of his impressive defensive numbers in the Premier League, it is no surprise that Andre is worth double the amount of Silva.
As per FBref, the Brazilian averages 4.6 tackles and interceptions per game, slightly more than the new Benfica star. That places him in the 83rd percentile of midfielders in the Premier League. Andre’s numbers outside of that are impressive.
Tackles and interceptions
4.6
83rd
Ball recoveries
6.10
81st
Blocks
2.06
92nd
Tackles won
2.38
95th
Pass completion %
92.3%
98th
The signing of Andre has been a great investment so far from the Old Gold. Not only has he proven to be worth even more than Silva, but he has performed well so far in the middle of the park from the Old Gold.
If the Brazilian can keep this form up, Wolves could be looking at an even bigger increase in his transfer value.
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