Wolves are reportedly interested in signing Brazilian defender Guilherme Arana and plan to open talks with his club Atletico Mineiro in January.
According to a report from journalist Ekrem Konur, Wolves have identified Atletico Mineiro and Brazil left-back Guilherme Arana as a target for the upcoming winter transfer window.
Arana started at Brazilian outfit Corinthians and had a loan stint at Athletico Paranaense before making his way to Europe in 2018 when he signed for Sevilla. After eighteen months with the La Liga club, the defender had a loan stint in Italy with Atalanta before signing for Atletico Mineiro in January last year.
Having returned to Brazil on an initial loan deal, the 24-year-old’s transfer was made permanent in the summer earlier this year. Since his switch to Atletico Mineiro, Arana has been a regular fixture at left-back, racking up 81 appearances across all competitions. He has produced a handy tally of eight goals and 15 assists.
Arana made his Brazil debut earlier this month in a World Cup Qualifier against Venezuela on the back of his impressive club form. The 24-year-old’s rise in stature in his homeland has earned him admirers in the form of Wolves.
Marcal has been the preferred option at left-back for Wolves under new manager Bruno Lage this season, having featured in eight of their nine Premier League games. However, the 32-year-old missed the game against Leeds United this past weekend with an injury. Furthermore, his contract is set to run out at the end of the season.
Rayan Ait Nouri is also an option at the disposal of Lage but has not been in favour so far, featuring in just four games across all competitions. Additionally, he picked up an injury against Leeds after having come into the lineup to replace Marcal.
With Jonny Castro being a long-term absentee and Marcal’s iffy contract situation being as it is, it would bode well for the Midlands club to look for a new left-back. Arana, to that end, has now emerged as a potential target for the Black Country outfit. The report from Ekrem Konur adds that Wolves plan to open talks with Atletico Mineiro over a deal for the Brazilian international in January.
It will be interesting to see if they are successful in securing the signing of the 24-year-old left-back.
