Journalist Luke Hatfield has hinted at Wolves completing a move for Lille and Portugal midfielder Renato Sanches in the near future.

The Lowdown: Sanches linked with Wolves move

The 24-year-old was linked with a switch to Molineux a number of times during the summer, as the club eyed up a high-profile transfer.

Instead, Sanches ended up remaining at Lille, where he has made 10 appearances in Ligue 1 so far this season, with one goal and one assist to his name.

It appears that a move to Wolves may not be dead in the water, though, if a fresh update is to be believed.

The Latest: Hatfield makes key claim

Speaking to Give Me Sport, Hatfield claimed that a deal almost being struck in the summer bodes well for Wolves, hinting at it materialising at some point soon:

"It's a good sign for Wolves that they managed to get as close as possible without actually completing the transfer.

"Of course, I'm not too sure on the situation in terms of whether contracts were agreed with the player and whether the wages were right for him and Wolves, but it's a good sign that Wolves and Lille managed to get that far for sure."

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The Verdict: Is he worth it?

Sanches' quality as a footballer is plain to be seen - he has been hailed as 'incredible' by Kevin Campbell - with the midfielder winning Euro 2016 with Portugal and also scooping the prestigious European Golden Boy award in the same year.

The one nagging doubt regarding Wolves' interest in him is his injury problems, considering that he has never made more than 16 league starts in a season.

That being said, Sanches would bring something different to Bruno Lage's midfield - he is averaging 1.4 key passes and 2.8 dribbles per game in the league in 2021/22. At Molineux, the former tally is matched only by Raul Jimenez, while Adama Traore is the one Wolves player to surpass the latter figure.

The Portuguese gem could be worth taking a gamble on, considering that he is still only 24 and clearly boasts plenty of ability as evidenced above, but Hatfield's optimism may bode well for Wolves' chances of striking a deal for him.

In other news, some Wolves fans slammed one player's performance against Manchester City. Find out who it is here.