Luke Matheson will split his training commitments between Wolves and Rochdale from now until the end of the season, The Athletic's Wolves reporter Tim Spiers has revealed.

The 17-year-old completed a permanent transfer to Molineux on the final day of the January transfer window for a reported £1million, before being loaned back to Rochdale until the end of the season.

Since that deal was confirmed, Matheson has two appearances for the League One club, in a 1-1 draw with Doncaster Rovers and a 3-0 defeat at Sunderland.

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It seems however, as though the foundations are already being laid for the teenager's permanent move to Wolves in the summer, after the full-back was apparently spotted at the Premier League side's Compton training ground earlier this week.

With one Wolves fan taking to Twitter to question why that was the case, Spiers responded by confirming that Matheson will divide where he spends his time over the next few months between the two clubs.

Rochdale, who are next in action when they host Coventry City at Spotland on Saturday afternoon, are currently 19th in the League One standings, ten points clear of the relegation.

The Verdict

This is a move that looks to me as though it will suit all parties.

For Wolves, it will allow them to get a close look at their new signing with less pressure on them to get on immediate impact out of him, allowing them to put more detailed plans into place ahead of his permanent arrival next season.

In a similar way, this will allow Matheson to familiarise himself with his surroundings at his new club, reducing some of the nerves he may feel when that permanent move is completed in the summer, and helping him to develop his game even earlier.

That experience is something that could also help Rochdale over the next few months, given the improvement in one of their first-team regulars training with a team such as Wolves could bring about.