Wolves missed out on signing a talented Frenchman during the January transfer window
Wolverhampton Wanderers secured their first league double over Chelsea since the 1974/75 season with their recent 4-2 win at Stamford Bridge and the Old Gold are eyeing a top-half Premier League finish this term.
The momentum is clearly with Gary O’Neil’s side following their third win of 2024 and if they can maintain this type of form, they could even challenge for the European spots.
Will O’Neil regret not signing a different center-forward in the last moments of the transfer window, though? particularly because they were connected to a few names.
The striker Wolves missed out on
It appeared as though the Molineux team would be adding an attacker after sending Sasa Kalajdzic and Fabio Silva on loan and losing Hwang Hee-Chan to international service.
Hugo Ekitiké was strongly connected to the team during the transfer window, but no deal came through, and he ultimately signed a loan with a buyout option at Eintracht Frankfurt, which is ironically the same team that Kalajdzic joined.
Given his skills in front of goal, it might have been a mistake to not make a more decisive move for the young player.
Ekitike may have gotten along well with the Brazilian, who has been playing well lately (he scored a hat-trick against Chelsea, for example). This combination could have helped Wolves advance and possibly secure a European position.
Hugo Ekitiké would have been ideal for Matheus Cunha
The 6 foot 2 jewel made his debut with Stade Reims during the 2021–2022 season, scoring 10 goals in Ligue 1. Midway through that season, he was even being linked to a transfer to Newcastle United during the January transfer window.
Journalist Graeme Bailey expressed interest in the young player and spotted him playing for a team that included the French superstar. “Outstanding talent – huge signing for Newcastle if they get it done,” Bailey said.
His three goals in 25 league games did not reflect his skill level, but he also had to deal with being the backup to the highly regarded Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, and Neymar trio.
The striker did not do too badly amid some exceptional players, as evidenced by his ranking fifth among the team in terms of goals and assists (five), fourth in terms of shots on goal per game (0.5), and fifth in terms of scoring frequency (one goal every 385 minutes).
But if he had joined Wolves, he could have partnered with Cunha at the centre of the team’s assault thanks to his skills.
The 21-year-old’s style is far more complex than just scoring goals; he presently ranks in the top 13% of his positional peers for shot-creating actions per 90 (3.26) and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90 (2.23).
Cunha has scored 11 goals and provided seven assists so far this season, demonstrating their equal skill at both finishing well and setting up opportunities for others.
Both of them could have wreaked havoc on Premier League defences, and O’Neil might come to regret not signing the legendary Frenchman.
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