Why Wolves should make a January swoop for Rodrigo Battaglia

Back in 2018, a report from the Sun had claimed that Wolves were interested in signing Sporting Lisbon’s Rodrigo Battaglia. However, no deal materialised during the summer transfer window.

Rodrigo Battaglia, 28, joined Sporting Lisbon from Portuguese rivals SC Braga in the summer of 2018 and enjoyed a very good debut season. However, he spent the majority of the last campaign on the sidelines with a cruciate knee ligament injury that limited him to just eight appearances in the league.

Now back to full fitness, the Argentinean has made just a single appearance for Sporting so far this season. With that in mind, Wolves must not hesitate to reignite their interest in the midfielder during the January transfer window.

Wolves haven’t had much to shout about this season, have they? Before last weekend the Wanderers hadn’t won a single Premier League game, but after two wins in the last seven days, it seems as if the mood has completely changed around the club. However, they still need to add a couple of players in January to boost their squad depth.

One area Nuno Espirito Santo should prioritise addressing is the midfield. Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves played nearly every game alongside one another for Wolves and it’ll be difficult for Moutinho to continue performing at such a high level given his age. Adding some proven competition for Moutinho, Neves, Leander Dendoncker and Romain Saiss in the midfield would certainly make sense.

Wolves have been very smart in the transfer market in the last two seasons and Rodrigo Battaglia would be another very smart signing if they go through with the deal.

Predominantly a defensive midfielder, Battaglia is a versatile player who can operate as a central midfielder and also in an advanced role. The Argentinean hardly played last season due to a nasty ligament injury but he was one of the consistent performers for Sporting during the 2017/18 campaign.

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In terms of his attributes, the former Braga man is a physically strong player on and off the ball, can pass the ball with accuracy from deeper positions, reads the game well to make vital defensive interceptions and possesses positional intelligence. Known for being an indirect set-piece threat, Battaglia is adept at dribbling and is quite strong in aerial encounters as well.

Verdict

All in all, the one-cap Argentina international is a quality midfielder with a lot of experience and he seems to possesses all the qualities required to thrive in the Premier League. Hence, Wolves must go all out to land Battaglia in January to bolster their midfield department for the rest of the season.