Wolves: Journalist drops transfer claim on Riqui Puig | OneFootball

With the end of the 2022 January transfer window on the horizon, it seems as though a clue has been dropped on a player that has previously been linked with a move to Wolves that could lead Bruno Lage to making a late transfer move.

What’s the talk?

Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, journalist Pete O’Rourke had this to say on the possibility of Wolves making a move to sign Barcelona youngster Riqui Puig, who has been mentioned with a move to Molineux in the past.

1 of 14

Which club did Wolves loan Willian Jose from in the 2021 January transfer window?

Celta Vigo Real Betis Sevilla Real Sociedad

He said: “Riqui Puig is a talented young player at Barcelona and I’m sure Wolves would love to have him at Molineux if he is available.”

After working his way through Barcelona’s youth ranks, in the same way that legendary football figures such as Lionel Messi, Xavi and Andres Iniesta among many others have done, Puig has gone on to make a total of 51 appearances for the first team across all competitions, scoring one goal and providing three assists from central midfield.

Lage would be buzzing

Considering the young midfielder’s immense potential and Wolves’ lack of depth in a central area, Lage would surely be delighted if the club could land a deal for Puig this month.

Having only started two of the 12 appearances he’s made for Xavi’s side across all competitions so far this season, it suggests that the £13m-rated talent is not a particularly crucial player for Barca and could be better off moving elsewhere if he’d be guaranteed regular playing time to help his development.

Therefore, Wolves could be the perfect place to go and earn more minutes if a deal can be struck.

Given the fact that they have previous experience of negotiating with Barcelona in a loan deal for Francisco Trincao in the previous summer window and with Nelson Semedo, they could use those players to sell Wolves as an attractive place for young players to come and play football.

Those prior Barca connections should also make negotiations easier, meaning the Midlands outfit should test the waters for a potential deal for Puig either before the current January window closes or in the summer if his situation in Spain isn’t likely to change in terms of his first-team chances.

Should Wolves try and sign Riqui Puig this month?

Labelled as a “spectacular” player by Gennaro Gattuso, Puig could learn a lot at Molineux under Lage’s tutelage as well as having the likes of Ruben Neves and the experienced Joao Moutinho to seek guidance from in their midfield roles as well as get to grips with playing in the Premier League.

The question now would be whether or not the Spanish giants would be happy to let Puig leave this month or in the summer when he enters the final year of his current contract at the club.

If they do sanction a swoop, the manager at Wolves would surely be delighted. After all, he is clearly a player who could become a very able deputy to Neves and Moutinho.