h716a5.icuWolverhampton Wanderers have endured a tricky summer transfer window, with the emphasis on moving players on before making any new additions.
Gary O’Neil’s side have sold centre-back Max Kilman and attacker Pedro Neto, to West Ham United and Chelsea respectively, raising £90m with those two departures alone.
The club have endured a tricky start to the new Premier League campaign, suffering back-to-back defeats against Arsenal and Chelsea – with additions needed if they are to be competitive in 2024/25.
However, in recent days, they’ve moved closer to making new additions, with Sam Johnstone moving from Crystal Palace, whilst a deal for Brazilian midfielder Andre appears to be edging ever closer to completion.
They could also add another attacker to the side before tonight’s 11pm deadline, with a deal for one talent expected to be completed in the hours ahead.
Wolves edge closer to sign Portuguese talent
According to David Ornstein, Wolves are set to sign Carlos Forbs from Ajax.
Lyon have also been in the race to land the 20-year-old, placing a €15m (£12.6m) offer for the youngster in recent days.
He would be an excellent addition for the club, potentially following in the footsteps of one other Portuguese forward who starred at Molineux.
Why Forbs would be Neto 2.0 for Wolves
After leaving Wolves this summer, 24-year-old Neto made the club a huge chunk of money, leaving in a £54m deal, just five years after his £18m move from Lazio.
He went on to make over 100 appearances for the club, scoring 14 times – catching the eye with his dribbling ability and creativity in the final third.
His surprising departure from Molineux will undoubtedly have been disappointing for the fanbase, but Ajax man Forbs could allow them to forget about his compatriot – potentially following in his footsteps in the West Midlands.
Forbs may have been featuring in a lower-quality division last season, but managed to produce a plethora of impressive stats last season – many of which were better than Neto could muster during his final campaign at the club.
Games played
23
20
Goals + assists
6
11
Progressive passes
3.6
3.2
Shot-on-target accuracy
41%
33%
Take-on success
45%
42%
Carries into 18-yard box
2.6
2.5
Goals per shot-on-target
0.33
0.17
The “phenomenal” talent, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, may have registered fewer combined goals and assists, but managed to achieve a higher goal per shot-on-target rate than Neto – demonstrating the quality he possesses in the final third.
He also managed to put more of his efforts on target during 2023/24, whilst also completing more take-ons, showcasing the talents that he is capable of producing if given an opportunity in the Premier League.
Given their recent financial troubles, additions have been hard to come by for O’Neil’s side, with various teams around them in the Premier League strengthening in similar areas.
However, the addition of Forbs would inject added quality to the Wolves side, potentially making him the perfect replacement for Neto after his big-money move away from Molineux earlier this summer.
He's available: Wolves targeting "superstar" Dawson & Kilman hybrid
He could join them on loan
ByJoe Nuttall Aug 30, 2024