Who’s the 25-year-old Brazilian that Wolves are keen to sign? Meet Nuno Santo’s prime January target

Scout Report – Alex Telles

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in a January move for Porto left-back Alex Telles. He will not come easily since there are a lot of clubs battling it out for his signature but if Nuno Espirito Santo plays his cards right, the Championship leaders might just be able to land their man. After having already signed Rafa Mir, Wolves will relish the chance to sign a promising defender like Telles to boost their chances further.

The Wanderers have firmly cemented themselves at the top of the Championship and are 12 points ahead of the second-placed Derby County. However, it will be important for them to use this period to bring in reinforcements and Telles appears to be the next on their hit list. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at his profile.

History

Born in 1992 in Caxias do Sul, Brazil, Telles began playing football at the age of 8 and soon enrolled in the youth academy of Esporte Clube Juventude. In 2011, he played a couple of times for the senior team but then moved to Gremio, after a partnership of sorts was worked out between the two clubs.

He spent a year at the club and then joined Galatasaray in 2014. He started playing as a regular for the club for the two years but in 2015, he was loaned out to Inter Milan. He was able to reunite with Roberto Mancini there, who was his coach during his Galatasaray days.

In 2016, Telles finally decided to join Porto and has been with the club ever since. At the time, Nuno was at the helm of things at the Portuguese club and Telles managed to thrive under him. He has continued his solid displays under new manager Sergio Conceicao as well and it comes as no surprise that he has attracted attention from so many clubs.

Playing Style

With the increase in demand for attack-oriented full-backs, Telles does seem like the kind of player a lot of managers would love to have. His skills and pace open up a lot of opportunities on the left-hand side and he is regarded as one of the best-attacking left-backs across Europe.

He has provided 7 assists and has even scored one goal this season. He can concentrate on a game from the starting whistle to the last one and is adept in the air as well. The player is a bit weak when it comes to tackling but he is strong at pretty much everything else.

Telles’ Future

While there is no denying that a player like Telles would undoubtedly be a coup for Wolves, it might pose problems for Barry Douglas. The current Wolves left-back has been in outstanding form throughout the season and signing Telles will bring about a sense of competition between the two.

There is no harm in that and it could provide Nuno with greater scope for squad rotation as well. Regardless of whether they sign him now or over the summer, Telles is likely to be happy with the prospect of joining the high-flying side.