Wolverhampton Wanderers have pulled off a major coup in the transfer market, signing highly-rated right-back Pedro Lima from Brazilian side Sport Recife for a reported £8.5 million. The 18-year-old, who only turned 18 two days ago, has put pen to paper on a five-year contract with the Premier League outfit.
Wolverhampton Wanderers celebrate their latest signing
The deal is a significant blow to Chelsea, who were heavily linked with the youngster. In fact, Italian transfer expert Fabrizio Romano had even tweeted that the Blues had already signed Lima, prompting a cheeky response from Wolves.
Fabrizio Romano’s tweet was met with laughter from Wolves
In a humorous video announcing the signing, Wolves forward Matheus Cunha is seen laughing at Romano’s tweet before muting his notifications. The Brazilian then proceeds to welcome Lima to the club, where he signs his contract.
Lima burst onto the scene at the 2023 FIFA Under-17 World Cup in Indonesia, starting every game in Brazil’s run to the quarter-finals. He went on to make 26 senior appearances for Recife last season, with two goals and two assists to his name.
Chelsea were the frontrunners to sign the player in the form of a highly structured deal. The BlueCo consortium, which took over the club in 2022, also bought a majority stake in French Ligue 1 side Strasbourg in June 2023.
This move was made to set up a footballing empire akin to the Manchester City Group and Red Bull group of clubs down the line. The Blues had already sent winger Angelo and midfielder Andrey Santos on loan to Strasbourg last season.
However, Wolverhampton stepped in and sealed the deal, which has forced the Blues to look elsewhere to strengthen their right-back position.
“We didn’t like the triggers” - Pedro Lima’s agent explains why his move to Chelsea fell through
Lima’s representative Renato Guimaraes explained how Wolves hijacked Chelsea’s deal to sign his client. He claimed that Wolves’ long-term interest and the Blues’ multi-stage deal were the factors that led to the decision.
Guimaraes said: “Wolverhampton have been following Pedro Lima since the U-17 World Cup. They also came to watch the live match against Coritiba and met up with us in Recife a day or two later.”
Guimaraes also said that he and Lima did not like the multi-stage deal proposed by Enzo Maresca’s side, which involved an intermediate transfer to Ligue 1 side Strasbourg. He added: “The purchase, in this case, was not for Pedro Lima to go directly to Chelsea, but to Strasbourg. But we didn’t like the triggers.”
Pedro Lima in action for Sport Recife
Wolves’ move for Lima is a significant statement of intent, and the club will be hoping that the youngster can make an immediate impact in the Premier League.
