Wolverhampton Wanderers will be hoping to end 2023 on a high note as they face matches against Chelsea, Brentford, and Everton before the end of the year.
Once those fixtures are completed, Gary O’Neil will then turn his attention to the January transfer window as he looks to bolster his squad.
Wolves now considering selling player who could have been a "big threat"
The Old Gold are open to a departure.
ByChloe ChadwickDec 20, 2023
The rumour mill has already begun to circle as some players have been linked with the Old Gold, with the 40-year-old aiming to strengthen his attacking options.
Wolves transfer news
Towards the end of November, the Telegraph reported that the Molineux outfit were showing interest in Viktoria Plzen striker Rafiu Durosinmi ahead of a potential swoop in the winter window.
A fresh update has been provided by the same outlet and they claim that O’Neil is still keen on luring the youngster to the Premier League over the coming weeks.
The club will face stiff competition from German side Eintracht Frankfurt for his signature, however, yet the 20-year-old may only cost £7m, which could turn out to be a wonderful bargain.
The Telegraph state that Wolves are happy to sell striker Sasa Kalajdzic and this could indicate that Durosinmi will be a replacement for the former Stuttgart hitman.
Sasa Kalajdzic’s statistics at Wolves
The forward arrived at Molineux last summer and was expected to be their main goal threat, yet he suffered a cruciate ligament injury on his first appearance for the club which kept him out of the whole season.
Since returning to full fitness, however, he hasn’t exactly impressed O’Neil, making just three starts in all competitions and has only scored three goals.
The Austrian currently ranks sixth in the squad for goals and assists (two) in the top flight, along with ranking eighth for shots on target per game (0.2) and 19th for successful dribbles per game (0.1), indicating that he hasn’t quite had the best influence on the squad.
Durosinmi, on the other hand, has been scoring for fun this season. The Nigerian has found the back of the net on nine occasions while even chipping in with six assists and this has all arrived across just 19 matches.
The talented striker ranks first across the Plzen squad for goals and assists (11) while also ranking third for shots on target per game (0.7) and second for successful dribbles per game (0.7) and these statistics certainly indicate that he would be a big upgrade on Kalajdzic.
Writer Kai Watson lavished praise on the youngster, saying Durosinmi is “potentially the next big Nigerian superstar” and judging by numbers recorded this season, he is doing his chances no harm at all.
It looks as though O’Neil is going to have a busy January transfer window which will be full of outgoings and incomings as he looks to build a team which can challenge for a top-half spot in the Premier League.
Unfortunately, Kalajdzic hasn’t managed to live up to expectations and while the injury stalled his career in England before he got the chance to get off the ground, he hasn’t done much this term when he has been fit.
A move for the Plzen youngster could be an upgrade on the Austrian, and it is a deal the former Bournemouth manager must get over the line sooner rather than later.