Wolves Complete Patricio Signing Wolves have secured the signing of Portugal and Sporting CP number one Rui Patricio, subject to international clearance. The 30-year-old stopper signs a four-year deal at Molineux, becoming Nuno Espirito Santo’s second new signing of the summer. Patricio has won 70 caps for his country, keeping a clean sheet in the 2016 European Championships final to help Portugal secure their first ever major honour.
His 10th minute save to deny Antoine Griezmann an opener has been immortalised with a statue in his home-city of Leiria, where he began his career in youth football, reportedly playing as a striker.
Sporting CP captured the signature of 12-year-old Patricio in 2000, and six years later he made his first team debut in the Primeira Liga.
A hero in the green half of Lisbon, the six foot two inch star has made 460 appearances for Sporting CP, including 26 Champions League and 49 Europa League run-outs, and kept 179 clean sheets.
Patricio leaves Sporting CP as club’s vice-captain, second in the list of all-time appearance makers and widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers on the continent.
He featured for Portugal in their breath-taking 3-3 2018 World Cup opener against fierce rivals Spain, and is expected to retain the number one jersey for group games against Morocco and Iran.
The Midlands club comfortably won the Sky Bet Championship last season with the help of a number of Portuguese imports brought in as part of Wolves' close relationship with super agent Jorge Mendes
