Express & Star

Wolves confirm loan deal for striker Leonardo Bonatini

Wolves have completed a deal for Brazilian striker Leo Bonatini on a season-long loan.

Published
Last updated
New signing Leo Bonatini (AMA)

The 23-year-old Al Hilal player will be available for the Championship opener against Middlesbrough.

The former Cruzeiro youngster has been playing in Saudi Arabia for the past year and netted 15 goals in 36 appearances.

“It is a dream for me to play here and to live here – it is an amazing country,” said Bonatini.

“I have played in other countries already and the experience I had in Saudi Arabia was very good.

“The staff here are already trying to help me with everything and I am sure it will go well.

“It is a new change and all the time you feel you have the butterflies in the stomach – that is normal.

“Then when you go inside the pitch for the first time it is normal again and then I will feel very happy to have a big opportunity.

“It is a big club and is also famous in Brazil, and I am very excited to play here.

“It is a dream to play in the Championship but even more in the Premier League and we can put our names in the history of this club if we achieve it.

“When you come to a new club all the time you always want to put your name in the history “I am not here to be more than anyone else – I am here to be a part of it with my team-mates and at the end of this season hopefully we are in the first league.”

The 6ft striker will become Wolves' fourth loanee and their 11th signing of a busy summer.

Goalkeepers John Ruddy and Will Norris, defenders Ryan Bennett, Roderick Miranda, Willy Boly (loan), Phil Ofosu-Ayeh, Ruben Vinagre (loan) and Barry Douglas and midfielders Ruben Neves, Diogo Jota (loan) have joined so far.

“I am very happy to be here,” he says.

“I was very impressed with everything, the history to the club, my team-mates, and I hope it will be a very good season for all of us.

“The training ground is amazing and I know the stadium is very nice.

“I hope to be happy here, score many goals, and help us have a very good season.

“The Championship is a very good league and I am looking forward to the project here.

Wolves' new Brazilian striker: Who is Leo Bonatini?

“Big players have come here because of the project and we want to go to the Premier League, although we know how hard that will be.

“If we work hard and trust in the club and the coach we can support each other and do well.”

The Brazilian had previously impressed in the Portuguese top flight for Estoril where he bagged 20 goals in 37 matches in 2015/16 after initially moving from Cruzeiro on loan.

“I don’t like to put limits on myself

“If I say no that I want to score ‘x’ number then when I get there people might think I will relax.

“I prefer to work day by day, step by step.

“It is a high level here so I want to work as hard as I can and to learn.

“What I will do is fight all the way and do my best all the time.

“I work every day to be better and to help everyone.

“When I go inside the pitch I will to play hard and play well.

“We will all work together and then hopefully in the next season, we will be in the first league.”

The need for a new striker has been highlighted by an unspecified injury to Nouha Dicko, who missed the friendlies against Peterborough and Leicester City.

It is not known whether the Mali international will be ready for Saturday.