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Casual observers would be forgiven if they had no idea one of Liverpool’s Champions League conquerers had already tried his hand in English football.

A man who’s masterful performance at the heart of the Paris Saint-Germain midfield showed even the likes of Ryan Gravenberch – the Arne Slot favourite is ‘good enough for Real Madrid’ these days – that there are still a few rungs on the ladder separating himself from Europe’s elite ball-progressors.

To think, the closest Vitinha came to showcasing those supreme talents in the Old Gold of Wolverhampton Wanderers was an FA Cup screamer against non-league Chorley.

The Portugal international also only started five Premier League games during a forgettable 2020/21 loan spell at Molineux.

Wolves turned down the chance to sign the Sporting Lisbon starlet permanently in a £17 million deal that summer.

Three years on, God only knows how much Paris Saint-Germain would demand these days for a footballer who’s dominant, dazzling, delectable display over two legs against Liverpool remains perhaps the most impressive of any midfielder in this season’s Champions League.

Photo by Aurelien Meunier – PSG/PSG via Getty Images

Vitinha was full of confidence ahead of PSG’s trip to Anfield.

A 3-1 lead from the first leg in Paris – secured by mesmerising strikes from Desire Doue and Kvicha Kvaratshelia – ensures Luis Enrique’s collection of twinkle-toed talent have one foot in the semi-finals.

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Though, back home in his native Portugal, the feeling among some pundits is that PSG may still be a stepping stone on Vitinha’s journey to one of the more historic of European institutions.

He would also relish the chance to see the former Wolves misfit pull the strings at the heart of the Liverpool midfield after an Anfield audition for the ages a couple of weeks back.

“There are not many players in modern football with [Vitinha’s] footballing quality,” Pinto argues. “PSG is a big club, but I believe that the art that Vitinha brings to the field would make him a worthy replacement for Modric.

Yet, while performances such as the one against Liverpool earned him the belated acknowledgement of a wider audience, those who watched PSG come within touching distance of the Champions League final last term will tell you that Vitinha has long been threatening an assault on the elite.

 “This guy, Vitinha, plays a different sport,” an awe-struck Thierry Henry said after PSG edged past Liverpool in the last-16.

But Vitinha, the way he controls the game, and defends, it’s a different sport.”