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With Bruno Lage succeeding Nuno Santo at Wolves, he cannot afford to rest with the transfer window now in full swing.
Wolves face a summer of departures and insignificant spending so it might not be the easiest of starts for the new manager.
On the chalkboard
The biggest threat to the Wolves side is a departure for Ruben Neves.
Signed for a Championship record fee in 2017, the Portuguese midfielder took his game to an incredible level under Nuno.
Manchester City were linked with his services and now Arsenal are interested in securing Neves for a fee of around £35m.
Should Wolves sell Neves to Arsenal?
No chance!
Definitely!
It’s thought the midfielder is one of Wolves’ most sellable assets as they strive for extra cash in a bid to improve their squad.
Samu Costa to Wolves?
One player Lage could bring to the Midlands in order to replace Neves is Samu Costa.
According to A Bola, Wolves are already in talks to sign the 20-year-old from Braga.
This feels like a typical transfer link for the Old Gold. He is Portuguese and a client of Jorge Mendes, somebody who enjoys a fantastic relationship with Fosun.
Costa also fits the bill for how Wolves want to progress players. He is young and has enormous potential after starring in the second tier of Spanish football last year.
A defensive midfielder by trade, he is following a similar path to Neves; stand out in the lower tiers before making your move to the top-flight.
Costa is a robust individual and picked up a mighty haul of 15 yellow cards this term. He may lack a sense of discipline but his defensive numbers are impressive.
During the 2020/21 season, the youngster produced 1.8 interceptions and one tackle per 90 minutes.
Neves won over two tackles per 90 but his interceptions of 1.5 are actually lower than Costa’s.
Possessing a wonderful reading of the game, the 6-foot midfielder could more than fill the void left behind by Neves.
He doesn’t have a goal-scoring habit but his shot on target rate (28.6%) is higher than the Wolves star. With that in mind, Lage could train him to be more offensive if required.
Wolves will have to pay €25m (£21.5m) to sign but very rarely has a price tag deterred the Midlands side when it’s come to a young player. His tackle rate implies he’s a beast in the defensive third; that’s exactly what Lage will need.
AND in other news, Lage could become an instant hit if Wolves sign “spectacular” £34.5m Mendes client…
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