Wolves are to complete the signing of Vitor Ferreira on an initial loan deal imminently - but what will Wolves fans be getting from the talented 20-year old?
The recruitment by Wolves, at least with regards to their signings from the Portuguese Primeira Liga, has been quite exceptional over the last half decade. Very rarely have they made a mistake in their decision-making when it comes to signing Portuguese talents - and Vitor Ferreira is by all accounts no different.
It should be made clear that Porto fans are incredibly disappointed to see the midfield maestro depart. There is a sense that this sale is similar to the departure of Ruben Neves. Of course, Neves was far more proven at senior level and had already garnered Champions League and Primeira Liga experience to a quite startling level for his youth, but Ferreira, commonly known as Vitinha, has shown immense quality over the last couple of seasons, and is a huge prospect in the game, perhaps the biggest young midfield talent that Porto had at their disposal - though Fabio Vieira may have something to say about that.
Nevertheless, Vitinha, like Fabio Silva who Wolves have already signed this window, was part of the spectacular Porto generation that lifted the UEFA Youth League title - the golden generation that is seemingly being sold off en mass as Porto look to prioritise keeping hold of their senior players at the expense of safeguarding their future security.
But Porto’s loss is Wolves’ gain, and there is a huge amount for fans of the English Premier League club to be excited about.
The transfer represents “world class business” by Wolverhampton Wanderers
First and foremost, we should mention the fee. 20 million euros is what it is going to take for Wolves to make the loan move permanent, which could really go on to be something of a steal. For such a highly rated player of his age, Vitinha is not only an investment for the present, but one that is predominantly for the future, and to be able to secure one of the most talented players coming through the academies in Portugal - a country famed for its abundance of technically gifted footballers - has to be considered world-class business.
The fact that Vitinha’s agent is Jorge Mendes undoubtedly helped Wolves in securing such an impressive prospect, while Porto’s urgent need to sell also made a deal of this nature something of a necessity for the Portuguese champions, though that shouldn’t take away from the fact that this is a signing of a player that could, and should, become a household name in the coming years.
The Portugal U21 international has already shown that he has the quality to succeed on the big stage, and now it is simply a case of giving him the opportunity to show it. That will be difficult to begin with, of course - the task of dislodging compatriots Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves is an unenviable one - but he will certainly be given a chance to show what he can do off the bench, and in the cup competitions.
Another factor that you have to consider is just how useful it will be for him to work under the stewardship of Joao Moutinho, a legend in the game, a player who will undoubtedly be something of a hero figure for Vitinha, and someone that has shown the quality and longevity of a world-class player. To work with him every day over the next couple of years will simply make him even better at what he does, with clear and striking similarities between the two players and the way they go about their games.
Vitinha: On the cusp of becoming a star
But it’s important not to get too carried away. After all, though Vitinha is one of the brightest players to emerge from one of the greatest generations in the history of the Porto academy, this is also a player that is yet to play a significant amount of senior football, and he will therefore likely need some time to become fully accustomed to this level. And we have seen in the past that players with massive potential and quality performances on the youth stage to, on occasion, fail to successfully make the transition to the senior side.
At the same time, however, it is difficult to see how that could be the case with Vitinha, who is a player that already has all the traits you look for in a midfield playmaker, with one of his major strengths being his passing game.
Indeed, his vision and awareness of the game, for his age, is truly impressive and, combined with his intelligence in possession and decision making, is what sets him apart from many of the similarly talented and technically-gifted players. And he is able to follow that up with some exquisite perfectly weighted passing, over both long and short distances, as he operates as the creative cog within his team, able to add that bit of invention and craft that is sometimes required to unlock a defence.
As such, despite his clear lack of senior game time, which you can simply put that down to the fact that Porto are blessed with a good deal of talent in the middle of the park, Vitinha is on the brink of becoming a top-quality player, not just for the future, but for the present too.
And he’s not just a passing specialist, either. Vitinha is also incredibly comfortable on the ball and is a very accomplished and effective dribbler. Good in tight spaces with great control of the ball, Vitinha is, as a passing specialist, comfortable to play one-touch football when the opportunity presents himself, but can equally carry the ball forwards, with good energy and quick feet to help him dart around the pitch both in and out of possession.
He’s just incredibly complete as far as midfield talents go, with strengths in all the areas you’re looking for, and this is the general consensus across Portugal, who have seen their fair share of technically world-class talents emerge in the country. You know you’re good when you are already, at the age of 20, being compared to the likes of Joao Moutinho by football fans who have been blessed with some great quality in their sides over the year.
He deserves to be given the time required to adapt to his new environment and a new league, however long that may be. He could hit the ground running, or require several months to finally start proving an effective central midfield player. Every player is different, and it is difficult to predict with certainty as a result. But with his mental strength, attitude and drive to go with his abundance of natural talent, it is impossible to see how this signing won’t go on to be a great success for Wolves, even if it does, potentially, require some patience.