Wolves plotting £26m move for “total leader”

Wolverhampton Wanderers will be desperate to pick up their first Premier League victory of the new season when travelling to AFC Bournemouth this coming weekend.

Vitor Pereira’s Old Gold were torn to shreds 4-0 by Manchester City on the opening day, as Rayan Ait Nouri returned to his old side to deliver a killer blow, while Matheus Cunha’s absence was there for all to see, too, as the weak hosts struggled in the forward areas.

With Jorgen Strand Larsen also now reportedly on Newcastle United’s shortlist of striker targets, the hectic transfer window could soon go from bad to worse for the depleted West Midlands outfit.

Yet, there are a few players also catching the Old Gold’s eye, away from the constant chatter about those departing the building.

Latest on Wolves’ midfield search

Wolves have been active in the window with incoming signings.

Fer Lopez joined the Molineux ranks for £19.5m, having previously played alongside Strand Larsen at Celta Vigo, while Jackson Tchatchoua has also just completed a switch to the Premier League side from Hellas Verona to strengthen Pereira’s personnel in the right-back spot.

Up next, Wolves could soon welcome Barcelona number 17, Marc Casado, to their ever-growing camp in the middle of the park, if reports are to be believed.

Indeed, as per reports from Spanish outlet Marca, Casado is attracting interest from both the Old Gold and West Ham United, having been left out of Hansi Flick’s first team plans last time out versus RCD Mallorca as La Liga kicked off. The Premier League pair are said to be ‘closely monitoring’ his current situation.

The report does state that the 21-year-old ace only has eyes for Barca, but a £26m bid could soon come Flick and Co.’s way for the La Masia academy product.

Pereira will hope he can get an ambitious deal over the line for the Spanish youngster, with Casado perhaps capable of offering the same level of class and excellence on the ball that Ruben Neves once gave Wolves in spades during his celebrated stay at Molineux.

Why Casado can be Pereira’s own Neves

Neves would arrive at Wolves in the summer of 2017 as an undoubted coup, having arrived at the then-Championship club for just £15m from FC Porto, despite having suitors from the Premier League in both Chelsea and Liverpool.

Wolves certainly got themselves a stunning bargain by landing the Portuguese star when they did, with Neves going on to be an integral part of the Old Gold jigsaw over many a season, culminating in 30 goals and 13 assists coming his way from 253 total appearances.

Casado’s potential arrival onto the scene does have a similar Neves feel, considering the 21-year-old has reportedly had eyes watching him from Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur this summer, on top of the Spaniard being more used to Champions League contests at the Camp Nou assisting Raphinha than any Premier League basement battles.

Still, much like the Al-Hilal midfielder routinely steered Wolves to comfortable mid-table finishes – with Neves’ lowest final position in an Old Gold shirt coming in at 13th – Pereira will hope Casado’s addition to the group means defeats such as the one suffered at the hands of the Citizens don’t crop up all campaign long, as more successful days lay ahead.

After all, despite limited first-team opportunities, Casado has shown he can cut it at the very top with Barca, with one goal and five assists falling into his lap last season in La Liga and Champions League action.

Therefore, the 5-foot-8 star shouldn’t find the step-up to the Premier League to be too overwhelming, with a hope he can instantly settle in, like Neves managed all those years ago.

Moreover, he even possesses elements of Neves’ game when it comes to stepping up as a leader, with the 28-year-old going on to don the Old Gold armband regularly across his lengthy spell at the club.

Former Barca great Rafael Marquez would herald Casado as a “total leader” when first making waves in the Camp Nou senior set-up, while further being branded as a “machine” by ex-Spain teammate Yeremi Pino.

All this positive talk points in the direction of this being a worthwhile purchase to pursue, particularly if he goes on to be as effective as Neves.