Bruno Lage could have signed ‘unstoppable’ Serie A record-breaker at Wolves, now he’s worth £100m
The Old Gold also sold some of their key first-team stars, namely Pedro Neto and Max Kilman, while also missing out on a number of targets.
That is a feeling that has become all too familiar for supporters at Molineux, with Wolves previously failing to sign Enzo Fernandez before he signed for Chelsea and striker Ivan Toney, who was dangerously close to arriving at Wolves in 2014.
Fernandez and Toney aren’t the only transfer mishaps that have caused heartache in the window, as there was arguably an even bigger one during the Bruno Lage era.
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Wolves could have signed AC Milan forward Rafael Leao in 2021
In the summer of 2021, Wolves were shopping for a talented forward in the market and AC Milan attacker Rafael Leao was on their radar.
It was suggested by Italian outlet Gazzetta dello Sport, as relayed by Sport Witness, that Milan were willing to sell Leao and Wolves were in discussions over a deal for the winger.
The Portuguese superstar is represented by super agent Jorge Mendes, which should have handed Wolves the upper hand in negotiations but in the end, he remained at the San Siro
Since Lage and the Wanderers failed in their pursuit of Leao, the 25-year-old has blossomed into one of the most talented attackers on the planet.
For the Italian giants, he’s plundered 59 goals and supplied 51 assists in 213 appearances, while at the end of 2020, Leao set a record for the quickest goal in Serie A history, striking inside 6 seconds against Sassuolo.
With his searing pace and running power, attributes that have been dubbed as ‘unstoppable’, Leao’s prominence as one of the world’s best forwards is reflected by his value.
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Rafael Leao is now valued at over £100 million
Considering Wolves have wasted so much money on forward players over the years, none more so than a £27.5 million transfer for Goncalo Guedes in 2022, the Wanderers hierarchy will kick themselves knowing they were once close to signing Leao.
That is because since missing out on the Portuguese international, his value has skyrocketed, with Milan slapping a £100 million price tag on Leao’s head.
Leao has indeed attracted some of the biggest clubs on the planet, with Barcelona the latest to show a keen interest in the jet-heeled attacker.
Nonetheless, his world-beating talents and skyrocketing value would have been a match made in heaven for Wolves in 2021, but instead, they’ve been given a bitter pill to swallow.
