Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Nuno Espirito Santo has hailed Liverpool’s successful quest to sign Portuguese forward Diogo Jota in a £45million transfer.
Jota has joined Jurgen Klopp’s Premier League champions as our third addition of the summer, having already added Konstantinos Tsimikas and Thiago Alcantara from Olympiacos and Bayern Munich respectively.
Liverpool chiefs welcomed Jota to our Melwood facilities on Saturday for his obligatory medical ahead of signing a five-year contract, signalling a successful end to our pursuit that features an initial £41m fee and £4m in personal and team performance-related add-ons.
Espirito Santo was aware of Jota’s imminent move during the week when the 23-year-old departed Molineux prior to the Black Country side’s Carabao Cup defeat to Stoke City and left the attacker on the bench in Monday’s 2-0 win over Sheffield United.
The Wolves coach was reluctant to discuss Jota’s move during the week but was more forthcoming with his answers when questioned on Saturday.
“Diogo is amazing and everybody knows the relationship we built. What Diogo did for us is absolutely fantastic,” Espirito Santo said, via quotes by Sky Sports.
“I think Diogo is going to the right place and we wish him all the best, knowing that it never be forgotten, especially by our fans, all the memorable moments that Diogo provided.”
Espirito Santo being so full of praise for Jota’s move to Anfield goes to show the quality we have signed by acquiring the 23-year-old, who produced seven goals and one assist over 34 Premier League appearances last season.
Jota can now add a versatile forward to Klopp’s plans and offer support to Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah, as the four-time international found the back of the net four times as a left-winger and thrice as a centre-forward last term, while also enjoying minutes on the right-flank in the past.
It obviously remains to be seen if Jota proves to be worth a potential £45m, but Liverpool agreeing to pay such a figure following a global pandemic also goes to show how highly the 5 ft 10 ace’s talents are rated by Klopp and his team.