Wolves rejection to double Champions League winner: Vitinha's rise to top

Wolves rejection to double Champions League winner: Vitinha's rise to topImage source, PA MediaImage caption, Vitinha had an unsuccessful loan spell at Wolves but has since gone on to win the Champions League twice with PSGByLauren McCannBBC Sport NI JournalistPublished10 October 2025Updated 1 minute agoIt has been a glorious couple of years for Portugal and Paris St-Germain midfielder Vitinha.The 25-year-old has been integral for his club side, helping them to consecutive Champions League triumphs and domestic league titles.He was also part of the Nations League-winning Portugal team, scoring in the shootout as they beat Spain on penalties in the final.His form saw him voted as the third best player in the world behind Ousmane Dembele and Lamine Yamal at the Ballon d'Or ceremony at the end of last year.Vitinha is now regarded as one of the best midfielders in the world, but few could have predicted such a rise to the top in such a short space of time when he was struggling on loan at Wolves five years ago.PSG beat Arsenal in shootout to retain Champions LeaguePSG go back-to-back and join 'greatest of all time'Published1 day agoFailing to dislodge Neves and MoutinhoImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Vitinha made just five Premier League starts during his season-long loan at WolvesVitinha joined the Porto academy in 2011 and rose through the ranks to the first team, making his debut in January 2020 against Gil Vicente.He would make seven further appearances that season as Porto won the Primeira Liga, but with the club under financial pressure, the then 20-year-old joined Wolves on a season-long loan with an option to buy for £17m.When announcing the signing that summer, Wolves executive chairman Jeff Shi said that Vitinha was "a crucial signing".Nuno Barbosa, a Portuguese journalist for Jornal de Noticias, told the club website that "it's impossible to watch him play and him not remind you of Joao Moutinho".Such a de...