Why Leeds United Should Sign Wolves Target Diogo Goncalves
Leeds United have former Wolves target Diogo Goncalves firmly in their sights this summer as they attempt to emulate the success of the West Midlands side. Owner Andrea Radrizzani, when talking about Wolves, has said that he wants ‘to act like them’ to be more successful next season in the Championship. This may extend to working with super agent Jorge Mendes, who has Diogo Goncalves on his books.
Portuguese newspaper Record reported that Goncalves was close to signing for Wolves in the summer but was convinced to fight for his place in the Benfica team. However, one year down the line, he has had little impact for the Portuguese side, despite playing 4 games in the Champions League. The 21-year-old will be looking for a move away to get first-team football and aid his development.
The young winger is an excellent crosser of the ball and is ruthless from dead ball situations. But he has not been able to secure a place in the starting lineup for Benfica. The Portuguese team are currently fighting for the league title and are only two points behind Porto who are chasing their 5th title in a row so it is not the time to experiment with young players. If Goncalves wishes to make it to the next level, he may have to move out of Portugal.
Wolves had found success in working with Jorge Mendes to bring quality players to the club such as Ruben Neves, Ivan Cavaleiro and Diogo Jota from Portugal, and Leeds would love to copy their success. Whether Paul Heckingbottom is able to gel an international squad together in the same way that Nuno Espirito Santo has been able to is a different matter.
Wolves are currently 13 points clear of the third spot and are marching towards the Premier League with ease so it is obvious that owners and managers up and down the league will want to replicate their style. However, this was not just built on buying expensive players. They also have a manager who has them playing an expansive and attractive style of football that gets results.
Leeds, on the other hand, have had a spectacular fall from grace in the second half of the season, and currently find themselves down in 14th position, which is far below what they would have expected this season. They will need to clear out a lot of players in the summer and look to bring in some quality. Diogo Goncalves definitely fits that description, but whether he will want to make the move to a club as volatile as Leeds is up for debate.