Wolverhampton Wanderers are targeting some January transfers to strengthen their squad and help them fight relegation. The Old Gold lost again in their last match, although the task was difficult to say the least. They suffered a 3-1 defeat to top four away challengers Chelsea.
Indeed, it only highlighted the need for more fresh blood in the squad during the second half of the January transfer window.
They are currently a place outside the relegation zone but are level on points with 18th-placed Ipswich Town. Each side has 16 points.
There has already been some transfer activity at Molineux this winter, although not all of it has been positive.
Winter transfer activity of wolves
The only real deal done so far on Vitor Pereira’s side has been the signing of 27-year-old Ivorian central defender Emmanuel Agbadou. It cost the wolves a sum reported costs of £16.6 million on the French side of Reims.
So far, the Ivorian has played three matches for the Old Gold, starting twice in the Premier League and once in the FA Cup. He was unable to stop Wolves from losing goals and, while not necessarily at fault, he was part of a defense that scored three goals against Newcastle United and Chelsea.
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There was expected to be another arrival at Molineux in the coming days. Wolves thought they had agreed a £10million deal to sign Portuguese midfielder Manu Silva, but the move for Vitoria star Guimaraes was backfired.
Instead, he signed for another Portuguese team, Benfica, who “stepped in at the last minute”. according to talkSPORT. As Aguias, managed by former Wolves boss Bruno Lage, are in the Champions League, they are naturally a major asset for any player.
The Old Gold will surely re-evaluate their options in midfield given that this is clearly an area they want to strengthen. They have recently been linked with a Premier League star they could replace.
Wolves’ alternative to Manu Silva this month
The player in question here is Liverpool star Wataru Endo. According to a report last week from CaughtOffsideWolves are one of several teams ‘monitoring the 31-year-old’s situation’, given he does not appear to be in favor at Anfield.
The midfielder is also a target for a few other Premier League sides, such as West Londoners Fulham and fellow relegation-troubled Ipswich. Celtic are also interested, as are Italian giants AC Milan. The Japanese star could cost upwards of £12.6million to get a deal done.
It has been a difficult season for the experienced Japan international. He has played only 15 matches in all competitions, with eight of those appearances coming in the Premier League. In total, the Liverpool man played 433 minutes, a total of 4.8 full 90-minute matches.
However, don’t let the fact that Endo hasn’t talked much about the term fool you. He was a key player for Jurgen Klopp in his final season, play 43 times and getting on the scoresheet twice from the base of midfield.
Endo was a player Klopp clearly liked, which was reflected not only in the amount of play he played against the Japanese midfielder, but also in the way he spoke about him. Towards the start of his time at Anfield, the legendary German boss said the midfielder has “tackling as a hobby”. According to Klopp, it’s also a “machine” in the middle of the park.
This is vital as Wolves appear to be looking for a ball winner, and Endo could be the perfect alternative to Silva. Their defensive statistics via FBref of top-flight football last season are similar, showing the kind of profile Wolves are looking for.
Per 90 minutes in the Premier League last season, Endo averaged 3.56 tackles and interceptions and 5.65 ball recoveries. Compared to the Portuguese elite, Silva averaged 3.65 tackles and interceptions and 6.45 ball recoveries in each match.
Endo and Silva defensive stats compared | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics (by 90) | Endo | Silva |
Tackles and interceptions | 3.56 | 3.65 |
Ball recoveries | 5.65 | 6:45 a.m. |
Clearances | 1.62 | 3.96 |
Blocks | 1.26 | 1.17 |
Aerial duels won | 1.62 | 2.99 |
Statistics of FRef | ||
It appears the Old Gold are looking for a ball winner to sit at the base of their midfield and break up play. Even though they missed out on Silva, there is a great alternative at a cheap price, who could bring quality of the ball and more experience at Wolves.
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