Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly closing in on the signing of Vitoria de Guimaraes midfielder Manu Silva.
The West Midlands outfit have made a relatively encouraging start to life under Vitor Pereira, recording three wins and one draw from their six matches in all competitions.
However, back-to-back 3-0 defeats to Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United in the Premier League have left Wolves on the brink of dropping back into the relegation zone.
Even with Mario Lemina having been reintegrated back into contention after apologising to Pereira for his recent conduct, Wolves are known to be in the market for a second centre-back despite having already acquired the services of Emmanuel Agbadou.
According to widespread reports, including Record, Wolves are pressing ahead with the signing of a player who can also feature in central midfielder.
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Silva in line for Molineux move
The report claims that Wolves have proposed a deal that would be worth €12m (£10.14m) which would come with a sell-on clause.
Silva was subsequently left out of the Vitoria squad for Saturday's 2-2 draw with Arouca in Primeira Liga, a further indication that a transfer is in the offing.
Prior to that, the 23-year-old had made seven starts and eight assists in Portugal's top flight this campaign, contributing one goal and one assist.
Furthermore, seven starts have been made during Vitoria's encouraging Conference League campaign where they have already secured a place in the last 16.
With regards to the position that he has been deployed, Silva has largely been used as a defensive-midfielder or central midfielder this season having largely played as a centre-back during 2023-24.
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An upgrade on current options?
Silva's versatility is an obvious plus for Fosun International with Wolves having allegedly been negotiating with super-agent Jorge Mendes, someone who has played an integral part in previous key transfers involving the club.
While this deal is not as significant as others from the past, Silva may be viewed as an upgrade on Matt Doherty in the back three and Tommy Doyle in the engine room.
The arrival of Silva would also increase the chances of Lemina moving elsewhere. Al Shabab are interested in signing the Gabon international, who has less than six months remaining on his contract.
Darren Plant
