Football Insider have revealed the total cost involved in Wolves’ move for League One starlet Luke Matheson, and it only goes to show the genius of the club’s ownership, Fosun.
What’s the word?
It’s claimed that the west Midlanders have splashed out £1m on the 17-year-old, which could potentially rise to over £3m due to performance-related add-ons.
For the time being though, Matheson has gone back to Rochdale to see the remainder of the season out but will be in and out of Compton Park to train with the Premier League outfit as he acclimatises to such a drastic increase in quality.
The right wing-back was signed on deadline day, almost out of the blue, and will initially be part of the U23 setup when he returns this summer.
Fosun genius
Fosun have been building for the future and investing heavily in the academy set up over the past few transfer windows, and this move for Matheson could be a masterstroke.
He appears to be tailor-made for manager Nuno Santo’s system having contributed to three goals in 17 appearances in League One this term, which is backed up by outgoing sporting director Kevin Thelwell, who said: “The system we play, it’s set up for him. He plays at right-back for Rochdale at the moment, but he’s a right wing-back in our eyes because of his energy and ability to continually sprint and recover.”
Whilst the teenager has also received a glowing endorsement from his former Dale boss Keith Hill, now in charge of league rivals Bolton Wanderers, after he tipped him to go all the way to the top.
“You have no questions as a manager when you work with Luke Matheson about where he’s going to end up. He’s going to end up at the very top.
“He wants to be the very best footballer that Luke Matheson can be and I think he believes he can go all the way. I’ve got no question marks alongside Luke Matheson going to the top.”
Keith Hill in conversation with WolvesBite.
Matheson has already risen to the occasion against Premier League opposition twice this campaign, scoring against Manchester United in the EFL Cup and taking Newcastle United to a replay in the FA Cup.
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If he lives up to the bill, then he certainly could become a future star at the club, he’ll be able to provide healthy competition to Matt Doherty at the very least too.
And in other news, Tim Spiers reveals how much it will cost Wolves to sign 19 y/o this summer…
