Real Betis 'pushing to sign Wolverhampton Wanderers winger Daniel Podence'

Having secured a sixth-placed finish in La Liga last season, Betis have earned another year of continental football in the Europa League.

Manuel Pellegrini is now in the process of trying to put together a squad that is capable of taking the next step, which is qualification for the Champions League.

Ayoze Perez has already departed Leicester City to move to Los Verdiblancos, but it appears that Pellegrini is keen to add another versatile attacker to his ranks.

According to Portuguese journalist Pedro Sepulveda, Betis have moved to open negotiations with Wolves regarding a deal for Podence.

The Portugal international has spent the last three-and-a-half seasons at Molineux, contributing 16 goals and nine assists from his 105 appearances in all competitions.

Six of those strikes came during the 2022-23 Premier League, the 27-year-old netting a number of important goals as Wolves retained their top-flight status.

However, the former Olympiacos star currently has just one year remaining on his contract and it appears that Wolves have little desire to renew his terms.

That has created a scenario where Wolves, who have been required to strengthen their position with FFP, are open to a sale as soon as possible.

Sepulveda says that Betis are prepared to pay somewhere in the region of £7m and £10m in order to finalise a deal, significantly below the alleged £16.9m that Wolves paid for Podence in 2020.

Nevertheless, parting ways with Podence for such a figure could suit all parties with Wolves keen to press on with signing their own targets.

The West Midlands outfit are yet to make any notable additions this summer, yet Julen Lopetegui has witnessed the club cash in on Nathan Collins, Conor Coady and Ruben Neves.

Furthermore, space has been created on the wage bill through the exits of Joao Moutinho, Adama Traore and Diego Costa, leaving Lopetegui in a position where he wishes to be proactive with the acquisition of fresh faces.