Striker and defender targeted as Wolves seek quality additions
A striker and a centre-half are top of Wolves’ wanted list as they pursue a small number of key additions this summer.
It has been a quiet off-season so far with no incomings or outgoings from the 18-man first-team squad which ended the 2018/19 campaign.
Kortney Hause has been the only senior departure this season, but he spent the second half of last year on loan with Villa, who he’s since joined in a £3million permanent deal.
The Express & Star understands that despite Wolves competing in Europe for the first time in 39 years, there won’t be a sizeable expansion of the senior squad.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s preference is for a small group, which he sees as key to maintaining harmony and team spirit.
While Wolves face an extra six matches in the Europa League just to qualify for the group stages, which start in September, club bosses are relaxed with having a tight-knit squad with a number of under-23 players on the fringes.
A striker to lighten the load on Raul Jimenez is a priority, as is a top-class centre-half to compete with Willy Boly, Ryan Bennett and Conor Coady for a starting berth.
There will be additions to the under-23 set-up and several young guns are likely to get an opportunity to impress during the Europa League qualifying rounds.
Interest in Salomon Rondon has cooled for now, with Wolves looking to get better value elsewhere in a younger striker than the 29-year-old Albion man, who has a £16.5m release clause.
Rondon looks certain to leave the Baggies and has expressed interest in a move to Molineux, which would make him the first player to cross the Black Country divide since the early 1990s, but he is a back-up option.
Liverpool’s Rafael Camacho is another player the club have looked at but there are concerns as to where the 19-year-old forward fits into the first-team set-up.
Reports suggesting Wolves have wrapped up a deal for Mexican defender Edson Alvarez are wide of the mark.
Wolves kick off their competitive season in under a month when they will face Crusaders from Northern Ireland or B36 Torshavn from the Faroe Islands in the second qualifying round of the Europa League, with the first leg taking place at Molineux.
