Confirmed: Wolves sign EFL player for undisclosed fee | OneFootball

Rotherham United have lost one of their young talents to the Premier League as Wolverhampton Wanderers have swooped for goalkeeper George Hardy.

The Millers have confirmed the move on their official website, in which they state that Hardy moves to Molineux for an undisclosed fee.

Hardy had been playing for United's under-16's team and his showings at that particular level had alerted top flight clubs to his services, and now Wolves have swooped.

The teenager hadn't been at Rotherham all that long as he only moved in 2021 from Notts County and he signed a two-year deal with the Millers at the time, but Wolves have taken advantage of his situation to bring him to the Midlands.

The goalkeeper is the son of former Notts County chairman Alan Hardy, who appeared to confirm the move a few days ago and stated that he will pen a three-year contract with the club.

Speaking on behalf of the Millers, academy boss Richard Hairyes has been fully supportive of Hardy's move, saying: “This is a fantastic opportunity for George and a move that we couldn’t stand in the way of.

“His performances have understandably seen teams from higher up the pyramid taking note for quite some time now and it comes as no surprise that Wolves have acted to secure his services because he is a fantastic goalkeeper.

“Whilst of course, we didn’t want to stand in George’s way, we also wanted to make sure that the deal was right for the football club and we’re satisfied that the undisclosed fee that we have received is fair compensation for a very promising young goalkeeper, who I am sure will go on to have a great career in the game."

The Verdict

Hardy is the latest in a line of young Championship and EFL talents who are being looked at and eventually taken by Premier League clubs.

We have seen this week that Watford's young defender Harry Amass, who was in their first-team squad earlier this season at the age of 15, is set to sign for Manchester United, with the Red Devils also signing Gabriele Biancheri from Cardiff City recently as well.

EFL clubs who have category two or lower academies are always at risk of having their best youngsters mopped up by the elite youth systems of England before they can put pen-to-paper on scholarship terms and then professional contracts, and this is exactly what has happened with Hardy.