Wolves were named as one club interested in a Sporting CP superstar last summer, with this season now showing just what the Old Gold could have had if they signed him.
Last summer was a difficult time at Molineux, as Julen Lopetegui was left restricted in the transfer window as he looked to sign reinforcements for the squad he inherited from Bruno Lage.
The Spaniard was unable to be granted financial support from Fosun due to the Financial Fair Play (FFP) concerns that surrounded Wolves at the time, seeing the former Real Madrid boss leave his post.
It proved to be the best scenario for the club in the end, as Gary O’Neil took charge and revitalised the squad, showing that hindsight is a wonderful thing.
On the topic of hindsight, Wolves would have found it useful to see into the future during the summer of 2023, as one player the Old Gold were linked to has really taken off this season.
Inside story of Wolves’ long-standing interest in Nuno Santos
In May 2023, Wolves were interested in Nuno Santos from Sporting.
Wolves faced competition from Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest for Santos’ signature. At the time, the versatile wing-back had a €60m (£52m) release clause at Sporting CP, according to reports in Portugal.
While that price tag was absurd for Wolves’ financial boundaries, it was reported that Lopetgui could have struck a deal with Sporting for just £13m, a mere figure that was never met.
Instead, Santos remained in Portugal and has since made the headlines again regarding Wolves, as O Jogo reported how the Premier League side missed a trick in not signing him last summer.
Would Nuno Santos have replicated Sporting Lisbon form under Gary O’Neil?
Across the 2023/24 calendar for the Portuguese giants, Santos has contributed to a magnificent 21 goals, scoring six and assisting 15 in all competitions.
The versatile defender would have fitted seamlessly into the system of O’Neil’s Wolves side, with the Englishman utilising an identical formation to the one seen at Sporting.
Followers of the Old Gold have seen countless times this season just how effective the full-backs are in the manager’s set-up, with Rayan Ait-Nouri and Nelson Semedo flourishing this term compared to last.
Santos operates in a similar way to Wolves’ wing-back duo, placing some importance on his defensive actions whilst showing his prominence venturing upfield, leading to him scoring an ‘extraordinary’ disallowed goal earlier this season, as it was lauded by journalist Josh Bunting.
In O’Neil’s system, there’s little to say that Santos wouldn’t have succeeded, with the primary concern being his adaptability to play in England, a stumbling block that frequently catches players from abroad.