Wolves are the front-runners to sign Sporting CP midfielder Joao Palhinha in the summer transfer window, according to a new report that has emerged this week.

The Lowdown: A Champions League beast

Bruno Lage will be looking to sign a number of new faces at the end of the season, with his side's Premier League campaign fizzling out a little, perhaps due to a lack of squad depth.

One player who has been continually linked with a move to Molineux is Palhinha, who has matured into one of Sporting's most reliable and tenacious players in recent years.

The 26-year-old started all six of his side's Champions League group stage matches this season, averaging an monstrous 3.7 tackles per game in the competition.

To put those incredible numbers into perspective, no Wolves player with three or more appearances is averaging more than 2.7 tackles per game in the Premier League.

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The Latest: Wolves in pole position

It looks as though Wolves' interest in Palhinha hasn't gone away, with A Bola [via Sport Witness] claiming that they are the 'main favourite' to acquire his signature this summer.

It is stated that 'everything indicates' that he will leave Sporting and that a move to the Premier League is on the cards. Jorge Mendes is tipped to work his magic and bring him to Wanderers instead of Tottenham.

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The Verdict: No.1 Neves replacement?

With Ruben Neves looking increasingly likely to leave Wolves in the summer, it is imperative that Lage brings in a like-for-like replacement - someone who can enjoy a similar level of influence on proceedings in the middle of the park.

Palhinha certainly looks the most likely option, in that respect, possessing his compatriot's deep-lying ability in midfield, proving to be strong both on and off the ball.

His aforementioned tackling statistics highlight one part of his game but he has also scored three goals and enjoyed an 87.8% pass completion rate in the Primeira Liga this season, showing that he is an all-round package.

In other news, journalist Tim Spiers has dropped a key Wolves exit claim. Read more here.