Premier League new boys Wolverhampton Wanderers have signed Portugal goalkeeper Rui Patricio from Sporting Lisbon, subject to international clearance.
Patricio was one of the seven Sporting Lisbon players to cancel their own contracts after an attack by 50 of the club’s supporters when they missed out on Champions League qualification. His decision to terminate his contract with Sporting enabled Wolves to snap him up for free on a four-year contract.
The 30-year-old goalkeeper, who has been capped 70 times by Portugal and won the Euro 2016, becomes Wolves’ fourth signing of the summer after the permanent captures of Willy Boly and Diogo Jota, while Mexican forward Raul Jimenez joined the club on a season-long loan from Benfica. Benik Afobe was also bought but was quickly sent out on loan to Stoke City.
Patricio, who is represented by super agent Jorge Mendes, played 56 times for Sporting last season and conceded just 48 goals in what was another impressive season for him.
In total, he made 460 appearances for Sporting. He will now fight with 31-year-old John Ruddy and 24-year-old Will Norris for a place in Wolves’ starting line-up.
Patricio’s arrival at Molineux would be a concern for Ruddy, who was the first-choice goalkeeper at Wolves last season, having joined the club in the summer of 2017.
Ruddy established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in the Championship last season where he made 45 league appearances. However, Patricio is an instant upgrade to Ruddy at Wolves as the Portuguese is expected to slot straight into Nuno’s starting XI.
Patricio is a goalkeeper with great shot-stopping abilities and reflexes. He can be an intimidating figure between the sticks and makes match-winning saves.
The Portuguese, who is a reliable player to have in the squad, has been often seen barking orders to his teammates. The 30-year-old knows to position himself well in goal and is very rarely flustered in pressure situations.
More than everything, the Portuguese shot-stopper is hugely experienced with his magical ability to react quickly to deflected shots. He is also capable of picking out a pass from the back, which is becoming an important aspect for goalkeepers in the modern game.
A leader and a commanding presence in goal with bags of experience, Patricio will be mightily helpful for Wolves in the Premier League.
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