As reported by the website Gianluca di Marzio, and written about here on The72, Wolves are said to be interested in and chasing Atalanta’s Chilean striker Mauricio Pinilla.
Whilst the striker has requested a move away from the Bergamo and Atalanta, it is thought that he wuld prefer to stay in Italian football rather than up sticks again. However, the submitting of a request would indicate that his future will be resolved before the transfer window closes in 5 day’s time.
The powerful Pinilla came into Italian football via a £2.38m transfer from Chilean side Universidad de Chile at the opening of the summer transfer window on July 1 2003, moving to Inter Milan. Since moving to Inter in 2013, he has appeared for 13 other clubs in a series of loans and transfers that have seen him play in Italy, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Brazil and Scotland.
Wolves have been linked to many a player since their takeover by Chinese group Fosun International including names such as Benfica’s Anderson Talisca and Luisao. Despite his 32 years, the signing of Pinilla would be a copu for Wolves and would bring a player to the Sky Bet Championship whose power and goal-scoring prowess would reap dividends.
Wolves fans – three things about Mauricio Pinilla
1. He has played for 14 teams since making the breakthrough with Universidad de Chile and moving over to Italy with Inter. The team he’s made the most appearances with is Cagliari, for whom he made 67 appearances, scoring 25 goals and providing 7 assists. The most goals that he has scored are for then-Serie B side FC Grosetto where he scored 23 goals in 25 games.
2. Pinilla signed for Atalanta from fellow Italian side Genoa only at the start of last season’s summer transfer window on July 1 for a fee said to be £1.7m. Last season for Atalanta he scored 12 goals in 35 appearances with the powerful forward also contributing 5 assists.
3. He once played in Scotland with an eight game stint with Heart of Midlothian, who he signed for at the start of July 2006 for £765,000. By February of the following year, the striker had gone back on loan to former side Universidad de Chile. In five game in the Scottish Premiership, he scored two goals and laid on one assist.
