Wolverhampton Wanderers have completed the signing of Francisco Trincão from La Liga side Barcelona on a season-long loan deal.
The 21-year-old winger will be joining host of Portuguese players at the club alongside former Barca player Nelson Semedo and also with the likes of Pedro Neto, Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Rui Patricio (although rumoured with a move to Roma) and Fabio Silva at Molineux.
Barcelona made an official statement: “FC Barcelona and Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club have reached an agreement on the loan of Francisco Trincão until 30 June 2022. The English club will take responsibility for the player’s licence and the deal includes a non-compulsory option to buy.”
Who is Francisco Trincão?
The 21-year-old winger had joined the Catalan club from Braga last summer, where he notched 9 goals and created 13 assists in his final season at the club. His performance that season brought attention to his immense techniques and potential, which eventually earned him €21million plus Abel Ruiz move to Nou Camp to further his development.
Moving to Spain, the Portuguese had some good performances but his spell was mostly overshadowed by inconsistencies in his game. Scoring mere three goals in 28 La Liga appearances couldn’t justify the hype that surrounded his signing, which made Barcelona to insert €500million release clause in his contract.
Francisco Trincao’s temporary departure wouldn’t be a surprise to many though, as the arrival of high profile attackers like Sergio Aguero and Memphis Depay would have influenced the decision to allow the promising young attacker to look for first team elsewhere, despite his potential.
Realistically, considering his potential there’s surely a big chance that the young Portuguese wing wizard would be a terrific signing for the Wolves this coming season.
What will Francisco Trincão bring to Wolves?
His ability to wreck havoc in the opposition box, coupled with his silky moves, on and off the ball movements and the intelligence to operate in tight spaces can give his team the edge against any strong opposition in the league. His ability and football intelligence was attested to by Abel Ferreira – who coached him at Braga, revealing that:
“He is not a pure winger, he is not a player who plays every game close to the line,” Ferreira told Mundo Deportivo (via Tribuna).
“He likes to receive the ball on the right and move inside. Francisco plays best between the lines. Don’t expect Trincao to play wide on the field. He is a young player but he understands the game. You can play with a 4-4-2, 3-4-3, or 4-3-3 formation. The strong point of this player is playing between the lines.
“In a 4-3-3 he can play in the roles of Xavi or Andres Iniesta, in the centre of the field and between the lines. He is a player that occupies these spaces very well. He did it with me at team B of Braga and he continues doing it now.”
Even Wolves’ technical director Scott Sellars described Trincao as an ‘exciting’ player, who ‘drives with the ball well’ and has ‘good creativity’.
Where will Francisco Trincão fit in at Wolves?
Wolves had Daniel Podence, Pedro Neto, and Adama Traore to rely on from the wings while Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho were constantly pulling the strings from the middle of the pack last season. Despite this, the team seemed to lack much alternatives in terms of personnel, which could be linked to their poor league position, amassing just 45 points in 38 league games.
With Trincao, Bruno Lage will have a better option on the right-wing, as Adama Traore haven’t been as inspiring as he was during the 2019 – 2020 season. At the same time, Trincao’s versatility and intelligence would allow the manager to switch formation during games without affecting his impact.
