Rafa Mir: Get the inside track on Wolves' Spanish forward
Wolves have brought in their first signing of the January transfer window in Rafa Mir.
But with the Spaniard joining Nuno's revolution at Molineux, Luke Hatfield spoke with Spanish football journalist Paco Polit - to get an inside track on the youngster.
What kind of player is Rafa Mir?
Though people might believe his main position is centre-forward due to his height, he actually has played quite a lot both in the right wing and as a second forward on a 4-4-2 system.
What's his style of play, does he tend to use physical prowess or is he more of a technical player?
His physical advantage over defenders makes him a true asset when winning any long ball.
He's also pretty fast, something that surprises opposition defenders when facing fast counter attacks.
However, his technical skills could be regarded as average, although he's pretty young and might improve quite a lot.
How has he got on in Spain, he was linked with a move to Real Madrid before Wolves snapped him up?
He arrived to Valencia in 2012 from Real Murcia, after short stints in indoor football and one season in Barça's Masía.
Since then he progressed very quickly, joining the ranks of a group of players that also had the tremendous scoring ability including the likes of Toni Martínez, now at West Ham.
Both of them were two of the most promising strikers in VCF's Academy, and coincidently both have landed in England.
His contract was up on June 2018 and he wasn't keen on extending it since last year.
VCF suspected talks behind their back with Real Madrid, but ultimately Wolverhampton put the money where their mouth was and Real didn't.
Does he hold a lot of potential? Is this a man we could be seeing starring on an international level in the future?
I really don't know if he will get there.
He's talented and has been on a roll this season to date (15 goals in 18 games), but I don't actually know if he will grow and improve enough to make it to the national team.
He hasn't been on the U19 or U17 squads either.
What are his links with Jorge Mendes - this kind of deal seems to have his fingerprints all over it with him heading to Wolves?
Rafa Mir switched agents in summer 2015 and, since then, Carlos Bucero is the man responsible for guiding his career.
Bucero is a well-known Mendes associate. Days before being sacked in VCF, Nuno called Mir to a UCL game against Zenit in Russia.
Mir didn't do all that well, but the fans pointed fingers at him and believed he was having privileges for being a 'Mendes boy'.
He has worked very hard since then to turn around his situation after Nuno was sacked and he was sent again to the VCF Mestalla youth team.
Do you think he can make an instant impact at Wolves, or is he one for the future?
Definitely a player for the future.
He will need to adapt from a less-demanding third division in Spain to the speed and style of English football.
What would you say are his strengths and weaknesses?
Very physical, highly disciplined, faster than he seems.
On the downside, he has problems to generate his own chances and is more of a finisher.
Finally, do you think he'll suit English football? Be it in the Championship or the Premier League?
Sure. As with Toni Martínez before, he's talented enough to make it.
I don't really believe he will get to world-class status, but he will be useful in any team he plays.
You can follow Paco on Twitter by searching for @pacopolitENG.
