Nuno Espirito Santo's former assistant Rui Pedro Silva has advised Vitinha to prioritise gametime amid Wolves' reported interest in bringing him back to Molineux.

Silva, who's now pursuing his own managerial ambitions after he and Nuno left the Midlands outfit, was speaking to Portuguese newspaper Record (via Sport Witness).

The lowdown

Vitinha spent the 2020/21 season on loan at Wolves but found opportunities limited. Over the course of the season, he was restricted to just five Premier League starts, making a further 14 substitute appearances.

Wolves had the option to buy Vitinha for £18million until the end of June, but chose not to take it up.

According to The Athletic's Tim Spiers, this was because they weren't entirely 'convinced' by his performances and because they want to assess alternative targets in the same position.

But another Portuguese paper, Jornal de Noticias, reported last week that there was a 'strong belief' that Wolves would make a permanent move for Vitinha in July.

The latest

Silva reflected on the 21-year-old's stint at Wolves last season and explained how he can move to the 'next level'.

"Vitinha had enormous competition: Moutinho, Neves, Dendoncker," he said. "But he has evolved and is ready for the next level, which is to be able to play more regularly.

"I think he should opt for a project that allows him to play more. It's the game that guarantees you evolution."

The verdict

If Wolves weren't all that impressed with Vitinha, perhaps it was down to the fact that he was never able to generate any real rhythm as a predominant substitute.

He reminded Wolves of his ability at the Under-21 European Championships earlier in the summer as he played an instrumental role in Portugal's run to the final.

Bruno Lage has historically shown a preference for a '4-4-2 double 6' formation, deploying more defensive-minded players in the middle of the park. He may well tweak that system, but on paper it doesn't particularly lend itself to the gametime Vitinha needs.

Given Lage's typical set-up and Vitinha's lack of action last term, it certainly appears that Silva is warning the youngster away from Molineux.

In other news, Wolves are expected to launch a bid for this forward