Wolves to swoop for 26y/o Spanish sensation after contract refusal

Wolves could be set to make a move for a new goalkeeper after their main target rejected a new contract at his current club.

Gary O’Neil is keen to add a third option to his ranks between the sticks, with Portuguese star Jose Sa the undisputed number one and Daniel Bentley his current deputy. Wolves have been given a huge boost in their pursuit of one main target in particular.

Alvaro Valles, 26, has been in fine form for Las Palmas this season, with eight clean sheets in 30 games, helping the club to 12th in La Liga. Wolves have already been in touch with his agent to strike a deal, according to Marca.

Valles has already turned down a new contract at the Estadio Gran Canaria, and that has only increased the likelihood of a move to Molineux this summer, with Las Palmas accepting that they will need to sell him.

Marca says that a bid will materialise in the coming weeks, although clubs all over Europe are chasing the Spaniard, who has made 102 league appearances since breaking into the first team back in 2019. He initially came through the youth ranks at Real Betis and is yet to represent Spain at any level.

Should Valles sign, he will have a tough task usurping 31-year-old Sa, who has kept 11 clean sheets this season in 30 Premier League matches.

Wolves are no strangers to shopping in the European and particularly Iberian markets in recent years, having regularly frequented Portugal due to links with super-agent Jorge Mendes. Valles would certainly be an impressive recruit, signifying their ambition to build a squad with the depth of quality to challenge for European qualification.

Doing so this season would certainly help impress Valles, and after a turbulent summer, when O’Neil replaced Julen Lopetegui just days before the season kicked off, they’ve forced their way into contention. They are currently seven points adrift of sixth-placed Newcastle, who are chasing the Europa League, with six games remaining.

There were people who tipped Wolves for relegation this season, and O’Neil’s performance, having himself only been sacked by Bournemouth in the summer, has propelled him into the conversation for Manager of the Year.