Gary O’Neil could bolster the quality of his squad for zero cost this summer, with one former Premier League forward set to become a free agent and a talent Wolves could target.
After steering Wolves to a 14th-place finish in his first season at Molineux, Gary O’Neil will now be hoping to bolster his squad in the summer transfer window.
Last summer was a trialling time for the Old Gold, who were left restricted from buying new players due to financial woes, seeing few incomings and a mass of high-quality outgoings.
READ MORE: Three aims Gary O’Neil’s Wolves will have in 2024
Fosun must support O’Neil in the upcoming transfer window if Wolves are to push on under the spirited manager, who impressed in his first campaign at the club against the odds.
There is a host of talent out there that Wolves could target in the bid to improve the squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, with one former Premier League forward set to be available for zero cost this summer.
Wolves should target Memphis Depay in the summer transfer window
Signing a free agent could be the way to go for the Old Gold this summer, as O’Neil bids to rebuild his squad, with an influx of arrivals needed to bolster the depth.
On Wednesday, Fabrizio Romano revealed the news that Atletico Madrid winger Memphis Depay will become a free agent this summer.
The former Manchester United dud has experience of playing in England, and while he didn’t fit the Red Devils’ system, there could be an opportunity for Wolves to grasp a renowned talent in the 30-year-old.
There is a stumbling block in that the Netherlands international earns a weekly wage of £144k-a-week at Atletico, a figure that would make him the highest-paid player at Molineux by over £50,000, something that isn’t so imaginable.
Wolves could be inspired by Matheus Cunha deal in Memphis Depay availability
It was only in December 2022 that Wolves did business with Atletico, who sanctioned a loan with an obligation to buy for Matheus Cunha.
While the Old Gold did pay £44m for the Brazilian, the rewards have been a luxury this season, seeing the forward contribute to 19 Premier League goals after finding his feet under O’Neil.
The boss has shown that he is the ideal figure to improve players at Wolves, with a similar effect being had on Nelson Semedo, with the two individuals following similar paths to Molineux in being out of favour in La Liga.
The same could be done for Depay, who recorded only nine starts in the Spanish top flight over 2023/24, contributing to six goals and falling down the pecking order.
That’s not to say that a player isn’t still there, with the Dutchman statistically comparable to the likes of Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Junior for his numbers over the past year, via FBref.
Lauded as ‘phenomenal’ by analyst Statman Dave for his form at Lyon after leaving Manchester United, the ability that the 30-year-old possesses is undeniable based on his career so far.
It would be a risky move in the sense of wages and the fact that Depay didn’t wow those at Old Trafford during his time in the Premier League but, could also be a move with high reward, in a player that could be better utilised and revived by O’Neil, just as Cunha was.