Talented though he undoubtedly is, the arrival of Goncalo Guedes at Wolves feels almost like a stick of plaster on a broken arm.
The Portugal international, a proposed £27 million signing from Valencia, arrives at Molineux after the most prolific season of his career, scoring 13 goals in 42 ames for La Liga’s eternal underachievers.
Pedro Neto, Daniel Podence, Morgan Gibbs-White, and Hwang Hee-Chan are some of the attackers Bruno Lage already has. Adama Traore is also a Wolves player.
The Black Country will get a lot of pace and unpredictability. Even with the former Paris Saint-Germain speedster joining Neto, Podence and co in Old Gold, there will be a limit to how much Wolves can achieve unless they succeed in landing a new number nine before the transfer deadline in September.
There were no one to fire the gun.
Wolves need a new striker as well as Goncalo Guedes
It doesn’t make sense that Lage didn’t have a single first-team centre-forward for Saturday’s defeat to Leeds United. It has been misfortune that has played it. Lady Luck has a bad side, and the Wolves have done something to get on it.
The fact remains that this is a toothless Wolves side with a bark far worse than it is bite, and that is despite the fact that they lost to Elland Road.
Lage felt compelled to turn to Chem Campbell, a teenager with 12 minutes of league football under his belt, when Wolves were chasing an goal in West Yorkshire.
Hee-Chan started at the middle. While he was a nuisance, buzzing around the pitch while riling the home support, he has only scored one goal in 24 games for the former RB Leipzig flop. Podence, while opening the scoring at Elland Road, is not prolific.
Toothless Wolves
The window is still open for three weeks. Wolves are determined to ensure that there is genuine competition for the first time since he arrived from Benfica, when he returns to full fitness.
According to The Sun, Wolves have an offer on the table for Ajorque. An old-school goal-poacher who scored 28 times in the last two Ligue 1 seasons, Ajorque is a sky-scraper of a man.
Strasbourg wants closer to 20 million dollars. It seems unlikely that Wolves would pay that much for a player who would not be a starter under Lage. Not with owners who want to keep the purse strings tightly drawn.
Another person who thrived in France is Hwang Ui Jo, who feels more affordable.
Wolves made a rather strange opening offer, one that included eyebrow-raising bonuses and one Bordeaux are expected to reject.
The Girondins are still holding out for £7 million despite being demoted and having mountains of debts.While the rangy Ajorque is a better fit for a fast Wolves frontline containing the exciting Neto and Guedes, Hwang is a better fit for a sleek, stylish Podence.
Hwang, Ajorque or Batshuayi?
Jean-Louis Gasset, a former coach of Bordeaux, says that 29-year-old Hwang has the ability to score. He can play on the forward line.
He is active for a front-line strikers. Hwang has excellent mental ability.
Four attributes that are likely to appeal to Lage and the Wolves supporters are versatile, hard-working, self-confident and an excellent finish.
Michy Batshuayi is an option. Few at Wolves would approve of the Belgian’s arrival.
Wolves must make sure their frontline looks stronger at the end of the window than it did at the beginning if they’re going to join Guedes. Another season of mid-table mediocrity looms large over Molineux if that doesn’t happen.
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