Wolverhampton Wanderers thought they had a deal all but tied up on Monday for Almeria defender Marc Pubill, but were pipped at the post by Atletico Madrid. Now Wolves are looking to pull a similar move over Napoli.
Pubill was a target for both Wolves and AC Milan, but after Atletico moved for him, a deal was agreed in a matter of hours, leaving the Midlands side empty-handed. They have now turned their attention to Sevilla right-back Juanlu Sanchez.
Wolves in pole position to sign Juanlu Sanchez
Sevilla and Napoli have been in talks for Juanlu for well over a month, with both sides playing hardball over the fee. The Italian side already have an agreement on a five-year deal with Juanlu, but as explained by Marca, there is a €3m difference between the sides on the transfer fee.
Wolves are now in pole position for Juanlu now, although Napoli are still in the frame, and are close to a deal with Sevilla for around €17-18m. They must still convince Juanlu to make the move to Molineux. Juanlu has a €40m release clause in his contract until 2029, and was previously linked to Real Madrid and Manchester United.
What would they be getting in Juanlu?
Juanlu was Pubill’s alternative in Spain’s Olympic gold medal-winning side last summer, featuring heavily off the bench, and assisting the winner in the semi-finals against Morocco. The 21-year-old burst onto the scene as a promising right-back tipped to replace legend Jesus Navas at right-back at Sevilla.
That was as a teenager, and while he was a regular for Sevilla last season, he started just under half of their games, making a total of 35 appearances. Managers Garcia Pimienta and Joaquin Caparros often moved him around though, using him on the right of midfield or even in central midfield, and he had a productive season going forward, scoring five goals and giving five assists.
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