Leonardo Bonatini: The best loan deal of the season?

Wolverhampton Wanderers’ 23-year old Brazilian striker, Leonardo Bonatini, has been voted Sky Bet Championship player of the month, having scored five goals in just four games. His achievement has been instrumental in helping Wolves to climb to the top of the league table.

Bonatini has been in superb form of late, and his awareness and sharpness inside the 18-yard box cemented his choice as player of the month ahead of Derby County’s Richard and Keoh and Bolton Wanderers’ Sammy Ameobi.

The young Brazilian has become a firm favourite with the fans at Molineux predominantly thanks to his exceptional goalscoring achievements so far this season.

Among the Molineux faithful, there is a growing recognition that Bonatini could well be the club’s ace in the hole in terms of achieving promotion to the Premiership. It could well be worth placing a bet on the prospect.

After he became aware of his player of the month award, the young Brazilian pleased Wolves’ fans by saying that although he was, of course, happy to have been given the award, he was happier still that Wanderers were at the top of the Sky Bet Championship league table.

He then went on to say how happy he was to be at the club, and in an expansive gesture, he dedicated the award to the rest of the team.

There is no doubt that Leo Bonatini has turned out to be a brilliant signing for Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Bonatini came to Molineux on a loan deal agreed for the entire season. He comes from Saudi Professional League side Al-Hilal and since his first appearance in English football, he has taken to our game like the proverbial duck to water.

It will be head coach Nuno Espirito Santo’s first and probably most important job at the end of the season to ensure that a deal is struck with Al-Hilal so that Bonatini becomes a permanent fixture.

Bonatini’s pedigree is impressive. He was chosen for the Brazilian Under-17 national side while playing for the Brazilian club, Cruzeiro Esporte. From Cruzeiro he went on loan to Juventus before being signed by Portuguese side, Estoril.

From Estoril he went to the Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal, where last season he scored 15 goals. His first goal for Wolves came on the opening day of the season when he netted the decider against Middlesbrough.

Head coach, Santo, will almost certainly have his work cut out, because going by current form, there is bound to be a lot of interest in Bonatini from other British clubs. But given the player’s expressed happiness to be at Molineux, a permanent move to the club could well be on the cards.

If the move is cemented, it will undoubtedly be welcomed by the supporters. Not only can the Brazilian help Wolves to promotion, but he can also establish himself as a top player in the Premiership in the years that follow.