Wolves have made some questionable decision since Fosun took over the club in 2016.
The owners enjoyed a lot of success in the early years at Molineux, investing and using Jorge Mendes to help bring top players to the club.
Promotion back to the Premier League was achieved in 2018, and the some more good investments were made.
Wolves enjoyed a brilliant first two campaigns in the top-flight, securing back-to-back seventh place finishes under Nuno Espirito Santo.
But it has been a struggle since.
Some questionable decisions over players have been made along the way – the signing of Fabio Silva for £35 million remains very odd to this day.
But there was also the decision to not sign Vitinha permanently – and Portugal manager Roberto Martinez has now issued a verdict that will make some Wolves fans uncomfortable.
Former Wolves loanee Vitinha hailed by Roberto Martinez in further suggestion of transfer mistake
Photo by Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images
Photo by Catherine Steenkeste/Getty Images
Vitinha was recently called up to the Portugal squad by Roberto Martinez and over the international break he’ll have the chance to add to his 25 caps.
They have two Nations League games against Norway, and it seems Vitinha is all set to feature heavily.
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Martinez is in no doubt how good Vitinha now is, hailing the player a few days ago.
He said of the former Wolves loanee: “Vitinha is now the maestro of European football. He’s holding the wand.
“He is one of the best midfielders in the world, without a doubt.”
The verdict is sure to prompt a reaction within the Wolves fanbase, who watched the club decide against signing Vitinha for around £17 million in 2021.
He had played under Nuno Espirito Santo. But the decision on Vitinha was taken just as Bruno Lage came in as the new manager.
The verdict comes after Arsenal legend Thierry Henry hailed Vitinha, claiming the midfielder ‘plays a different sport’ after Paris Saint-Germain beat Liverpool on penalties in the Champions League.
Why Wolves didn’t sign Vitinha
While this verdict will probably have many people asking questions of Wolves, it has already been suggested why Wolves did not sign Vitinha permanently.
Ultimately, Wolves felt they had not seen enough from Vitinha during his loan to spend the money.
The club were also said to be looking at other players on the market around the time the decision had to be made.
Vitinha on loan for Wolves (2020/21)
Appearances – 22
Minutes played – 711
Goals – 1
Assists – 1
Vitinha struggled to get in the team over the likes of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho and just couldn’t quite convince Molineux officials, and he then headed back to FC Porto.
He’s gone from strength to strength ever since, and he now even looks set to be a regular starter for his country for years to come.
Vitinha would likely not have become the player he is today had he made that permanent move to Wolves. But many still feel very uncomfortable that Wolves just let him go back to Porto, seemingly without much thought or foresight.