Wolverhampton Wanderers head into their opening Premier League tie against Manchester United in a far from ideal position.
Julen Lopetegui left the club by mutual consent following a summer of unrest with regard to transfer activity (or lack of) and the Old Gold have made just two signings thus far, with Matt Doherty and Tom King arriving.
Ruben Neves and Conor Coady are the high profile departures, leaving for £47m and £8.5m respectively and Gary O’Neil will need to find replacements for these two players as soon as possible.
The Molineux outfit have shown interest in defender Nico Elvedi throughout the transfer window, yet no move has materialised, but could a breakthrough be found in the coming weeks?
Could Wolves sign Nico Elvedi?
Borussia Mönchengladbach manager managing director Roland Virkus gave an update earlier this week regarding the future of the defender, saying:
“After 8 years, Nico has expressed the desire to do something different. We are in talks with clubs. There will certainly be a decision in the next two weeks. I can't rule anything out, but I think there will be an agreement."
This could give Wolves a major boost in their bid to lure the player to the Midlands. The £49k-per-week titan has interest from elsewhere, but O’Neil will be confident the lure of the Premier League will work in his favour.
Could Nico Elvedi replace Conor Coady?
Coady spent the entirety of last season on loan at Everton, playing 24 league games as the Toffees struggled near the bottom of the table for practically the whole campaign.
His presence was missed in the Midlands as Wolves conceded 58 goals, which was 15 more than the term before when Coady was marshalling the defence.
It’s clear a heir must be found for the Englishman heading into the 2023/24 campaign in order to galvanise the Wolves defence.
Elvedi could be an ideal candidate, especially with his vast experience in the Bundesliga which has spanned eight seasons and a total of 230 matches in one of the strongest leagues in Europe.
The Swiss centre-back enjoyed a solid season for the German side last term. He ranked first across the whole for accurate passes per game (61.4), while ranking fourth for tackles (1.4), third for interceptions (1.1) and first for clearances (4.5) per game, showcasing his defensive acumen while proving that he can also circulate the ball to a high standard.
Indeed, the “solid” 26-year-old – as lauded by scout Antonio Mango – was among one of the finest players on the continent with regard to his passing ability, ranking in the top 6% when compared to his positional peers for pass completion percentage (91.4%) per 90.
This suggests he could transition the ball between defence and attack with ease and potentially create more chances for Wolves in the process.
Coady was missed last season, and it was perhaps surprising to see him depart this summer following 317 appearances for the Old Gold. All good things have to come to an end however and O’Neil could find a perfect heir to the Englishman by luring Elvedi to the club in the next week or so.
