LONDON: English Championship club Wolverhampton Wanderers have continued their summer spending spree with the on-loan signing of Al-Hilal’s Brazilian striker Leonardo ‘Leo’ Bonatini.

Wolves’ Portuguese coach Nuno Espirito Santo has seemingly identified his attack as a specific area that needs strengthening in this close season and Bonatini clearly fits the bill as the Molineux-based outfit bids to get back to the English Premier League.

“It is a dream for me to play, and live, here — it is an amazing country,” Bonatini told the official Wolverhampton Wanderers website.

“It is a big club and is also famous in Brazil and I am very excited to play here. I feel very happy to have a big opportunity.

“The Championship is a very good league and I am looking forward to the project here. Big players have come here because of the project and we want to go to the Premier League, although we know how hard that will be.

“It is a dream to play in the Championship, but even more (so) in the Premier League and we can put our names in the history (books) of this club if we achieve it.”

The 23-year-old forward began his career in his native country with Cruzeiro (2010-2015) prior to respective loan spells at Italian giants Juventus (2012-2013), Brazilian club Goias (2013-2014) and Portuguese side Estoril (2015) where four goals in 15 appearances proved sufficient for Estoril to sign him on a permanent basis ahead of the 2015-2016 campaign.

Bonatini registered a more impressive goals-to-games ratio that term, with 17 strikes in 33 outings reportedly alerting the likes of Portuguese giants Benfica and Sporting Lisbon to his services.

However, he ended up joining Al-Hilal, where another return of a goal in every two fixtures — 12 efforts in 23 matches — from Bonatini helped propel the club to a Saudi Pro League and King’s Cup double.

Wolves are owned by the Chinese business conglomerate Fosun International, which — since last summer — has thrice broken the club’s transfer record with the signings of Ivan Cavaleiro, Helder Costa and recent recruit Ruben Neves.

Neves’ acquisition from FC Porto was also for a Championship record fee, with Fosun maintaining a close relationship with the Portuguese ‘super agent’ Jorge Mendes.

Bonatini’s signature might not be the last bit of business done by the Midlands club prior to the closure of the transfer window later this month either, as rumors abound that they are now trying to land Southampton’s Sam Gallagher, having been put off by Burnley’s £20m price tag for forward Andre Gray.