Express & Star

The inside track on Wolves new-boy Leonardo Campana

Wolves have made Ecuadorian striker Leonardo Campana their first signing of this window.

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He has joined on a three-and-a-half-year deal, and here, we give you the lowdown on the 19-year-old.

Full international

Despite his tender age, Campana has four senior Ecuador caps to his name.

And those have been earned on the back of a goal-laden run for their under-20s.

The teenager helped Ecuador win the South American Under-20 Championships last year, and finished the tournament as top goalscorer. Campana came up with six goals in nine tournament games.

To put that into some context, winger Rodrygo – who Real Madrid signed last summer from Santos – scored twice in the competition for Brazil.

Campana also starred as Ecuador got third place in the Fifa U20 World Cup last year. His senior appearances have all come in friendlies – against the USA, Honduras, Peru and Bolivia.

So, the centre forward also has some good experience under his belt.

He will not immediately be available to Wolves, though, as he has flown back to South America to play for his nation in the pre-Olympic Championship.

Campana, you may be surprised to know, is not the first from Ecuador to play for Wolves.

Segundo Castillo – who had a brief loan spell at Molineux in 2009/10 – also hails from the country.

Sporting bloodline

Campana’s father, Pablo, was a tennis player who represented Ecuador in the Davis Cup from 1990 until 1997.

His highest singles ranking was 165th in the world before he retired at the age of 24.

He has since moved into politics and is now Ecuador’s minister of commerce.

Campana’s grandfather, Isidro, was the president of Barcelona SC – the club Wolves are paying a nominal amount of compensation for developing the forward – for 15 years, and the club’s stadium is named after him.

Campana’s great-grandfather, Gabriel, was a footballer as well.

Mendes client

Jorge Mendes – whose expertise Wolves have called upon since Fosun took charge – represents Campana.

And according to the super-agent, the striker can be the ‘Joao Felix of South America’.

Felix, 20, was signed by Atletico Madrid for a whopping £113million last summer after a breakthrough season with Benfica in Portugal.

Standing at 6ft 2in, Campana scored four goals and managed three assists in 21 games for Ecuadorian side Barcelona SC.

Wolves have other irons in the fire – pursuing deals for Portuguese attackers Daniel Podence and Nelson Oliveira – but, having delved deeper into his background, Campana seems to have the potential to be a good option for Nuno Espirito Santo.