2 min read
2nd Sep 2021
Defender Christian Marques has signed a new Wolves contract and will spend the 2021/22 season on loan at Portuguese Primeira Liga side Belenenses SAD.
The 18-year-old, who has captained Wolves under-23s for the past two years, has agreed fresh terms until 2023, with an option for a further year, and now embarks on his first loan spell away from the club.
A leader at the centre of defence, Marques has been at Molineux since January 2019 and quickly moved from the under-18s to take the armband at under-23 level – becoming the youngest player to captain the club’s development side.
The Swiss-born defender also holds Portuguese citizenship and will spend the upcoming international break with Portugal under-19s, having switched his allegiances after captaining Switzerland at youth level.
Marques has impressed with the Wolves first-team this summer, training regular under Bruno Lage and featuring in the pre-season friendlies, including his first senior start in the victory over Coventry City, and he will now continue his development in the Portuguese top-flight.
Wolves’ strategic player marketing manager, Matt Jackson, said: “Christian is going back into the country for whom he plays international football, so we know he’s going to be very comfortable there.
“He obviously speaks the language and has those family links, so from that perspective, it’s a really positive move and will be brilliant for him to see the environment in a top league.
“Christian’s had great fantastic experience in our first-team this pre-season, but it’s also a great credit to the work of James Collins and our under-23 staff who have developed him to this point. This has allowed his transition into first-team football to be very seamless and for a player who is relatively young in football terms, the loan is just another step in building up his experience.”
