Over the summer Wolverhampton Wanderers added to their strike force by bringing in AC Milan striker Patrick Cutrone for £20m. So far, he is yet to make an overwhelming impression on the Premier League, but steadily the 21-year-old’s influence is growing. Unfortunately, he has been reduced primarily to a substitute role, as was the case in Italy. Nevertheless, the poacher has contributed a goal every 147 minutes in the Premier League.
The move can be considered an exquisite piece of business by Wolves which is going to plan thus far. Cutrone was inexpensive for a young striker with plenty of potential and an international cap to his name. While he was also the ideal candidate to challenge for Diego Jota and Raul Jimenez’s places, without immediately thrusting the duo out of the starting eleven and disrupting the partnership. Furthermore, he is the youngest of the trio, meaning he either has a promising future at Molineux Stadium or a high resale value if a potential suitor was to prize him from the squad.
On the pitch, the Italian is yet to set the Premier League alight, but the signs are promising that he is adapting to the English top-flight. Cutrone only has three starts to his name domestically, along with a further eight substitute appearances, but those have yielded two goals. If either Jimenez or Jota were to sustain an injury, he could slot in to replace half of the duo rather seamlessly, and there would be little concern that it would cost Wolves. Last season that was not the case and Nuno Espirito Santo was reliant on having both of his star men fit.
With the addition of Europa League football, Santo was always going to have to rotate his squad more often, and that is precisely where Cutrone fits in. While he is yet to open his account in six appearances for Wolves this season, the Italian marksman has form in Europe’s secondary competition having scored eight in 14 for AC Milan. His manager will hope he can rediscover his clinical edge now they have progressed to the knockout stages.
It may have gone slightly under the radar, but Cutrone’s move to Wolves was one of the most intelligent transfers of the summer. It fixes a potential headache for the Premier League club, while he also has the potential to replace Jimenez or Jota in the future. For now, he is steadily adapting to Premier League life, but teams should be cautious of the player he could yet become.
