Yet to sign a replacement for Max Kilman, who swapped the Midlands for London and West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers are now reportedly confident that they'll beat Tottenham Hotspur to their defensive target.
Wolves transfer news
It's been a mixed window for Wolves, who have lost both Pedro Neto and Kilman but welcomed the likes of Jorgen Strand Larsen and young talents such as Pedro Lima and Rodrigo Gomes. With two weeks left until the window slams shut, however, Gary O'Neil will be well aware of the need to replace the star players who did decide to depart this summer.
Fabrizio Romano: Wolves make enquiry to sign £40,000-p/w Premier League ace
He’s a player with plenty of experience…
ByTom CunninghamAug 14, 2024
On that front, those in the Midlands have already been linked with plenty of potential Neto heirs, from Brentford's Yoane Wissa all the way to Barcelona's Ansu Fati. Both options could be ideal contenders to fill the void left behind by the Portuguese winger, with Fati a particularly interesting target given his rise and subsequent fall courtesy of injuries at Barcelona.
Meanwhile, O'Neil's side also need to replace Kilman within their backline and could yet solve that problem by signing a player with plenty of potential. According to Graeme Bailey for HITC, Wolves are now confident of signing Bastien Meupiyou ahead of Tottenham Hotspur after submitting a second bid worth £4.3m.
Wolves have reportedly already seen one bid rejected by Nantes for their defender, which was worth £3.4m. Offering almost £1m more in their latest proposal, however, those at the Molineux will be hoping to have matched the French club's valuation.
At 18 years old, there's no doubt that Meupiyou is one for the future who would replace Kilman for years to come, rather than instantly this season. Given Spurs' reported interest, the teenager would be some coup if Wolves did manage to get a deal over the line in the next two weeks.
"Promising" Meupiyou is a long-term solution
If Wolves manage to agree a deal for Meupiyou, his role will be an interesting one to take note of, given his age and potential. O'Neil, with an eye on the future, may yet decide to accelerate his potential by throwing him in at the deep end of Premier League football and his squad when he sees fit.
Contrastingly, given that the teenager made just one Ligue 1 appearance last season, the former Bournemouth boss could also decide that Meupiyou has to impress in the academy setup before anything. Despite that one start, however, the Nantes man did enough to earn the praise of U23 scout Antonio Mango, who described the defender as "promising".
Having reportedly submitted a second bid, Wolves will be hoping to land a defensive reinforcement who can solve O'Neil's problem for years to come in the Midlands.