Wolverhampton Wanderers will be unable to sign Brazillian striker Hulk owing to new Brexit rules, reports The Athletic’s Tim Spiers. The 34-year-old will be subject to new criteria which applies from January 1 which limits signings from overseas based on their international experience, the quality of the league they are joining from and how prominently they have featured for the club they are leaving.
Brexit Rules to Stop Wolverhampton Wanderers Signing Hulk
Why Wolves Are Chasing Hulk
Signing a 34-year-old striker from the Chinese Super League would generally go against the precedent that Wolves have set in recent years since their promotion back to the Premier League. However, they are in a bit of a desperate situation up front.
Main striker Raul Jimenez is currently facing a lengthy spell out having fractured his skull, leaving teenager Fabio Silva as the only fit central striker in the squad. Wingers Pedro Neto and Daniel Podence will be able to fill in for now, but in the long run it will leave Wolves struggling to find the net.
Wolves are said to be pleased with the progress Silva has made so far since joining from Porto. However, an experienced striker to lead the line is a must if they are to challenge for a European spot again.
Hulk Ineligible Under New Rules
Hulk was offered to Wolves as an option in January. He is currently contracted to Shanghai SIPG but sees that deal come to an end next month.
Based on the new Brexit rules, though, Wolves, and the Premier League as a whole, is no longer an option for the former Porto and Zenit St. Petersburg forward.
Hulk has not featured for Brazil since 2016, while China’s rating in terms of league quality will be much lower than the likes of Serie A and La Liga.
However, if Hulk had played 70% of possible minutes for Brazil in the last two years, he would have been able to make the move to England.
There is no set timeframe for Jimenez’s return to the Wolves fold, but this is a recovery that cannot be rushed given the severity of the injury. Therefore, the search will continue for someone that can hopefully get them firing again in the second half of the season.
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