Wolverhampton Wanderers have managed to keep their key assets at the club so far, but with less than a month left of the summer transfer window, might Gary O’Neil be forced to cash in on one?
Pedro Neto is attracting plenty of attention of late, with Wolves reportedly looking to accept bids of around £60m for one of their star players.
Tottenham Hotspur appear to be keen on luring the winger to London, according to Fabrizio Romano, via GIVEMESPORT.
If he moves, O’Neil will need to bring in a replacement. Could he already be closing in on one?
Wolves looking to sign Croatian winger
According to reports in Croatia, via 24Sata, Wolves have made an offer of around €8m (£7m) to secure the signing of Marco Pasalic from Rijeka this summer.
With interest in Neto soaring as the window edges closer to its final weeks, there is no doubt the Old Gold will need to bring in another wide option, and it looks as though Pascalic is high on the list.
For just £7m, O’Neil is certainly not trying to break the bank, which means he could have funds to improve other areas of his team.
Marco Pasalic’s 2023/24 season in numbers
The 23-year-old shone for Rijeka last term. Across 41 games in all competitions, the Croatian gem scored nine goals while grabbing five assists. A solid return for his club.
Among his teammates, Pasalic ranked fourth for goals and assists (eight) in the Croatian top flight, along with ranking second for shots on target per game (0.8), fourth for big chances created (three) and first for successful dribbles per game (1.6), showcasing his talents across a range of attacking metrics.
Goals
2
6
Assists
9
2
Big chances created
7
3
Key passes per game
1.9
1.2
Successful dribbles per game
1.9
1.6
Total duels won per game
3.5
4.1
In comparison, Neto posted 11 goal contributions in the Premier League, while averaging 0.6 shots on target, registering seven big chances and succeeding with 1.9 dribbles per game.
These statistics show that the pair are fairly similar when it comes to attacking output, which means Pasalic could be a perfect replacement for Neto next season.
O’Neil clearly won't want to lose a talent like the Portuguese gem, but for £60m, it would provide a vital cash injection into the club which could allow the manager to bolster several other areas of his first-team squad.
Pasalic has still to enter his peak years but, having made appearances for Borussia Dortmund during the 2022/23 campaign, he clearly has the required ability to shine in a top-five European league.
He could certainly be a surprise addition to the Old Gold this summer, but the Croatian gem has proven he knows where the back of the net is, while also being able to generate chances for others in the final third.
If O’Neil can keep the likes of Matheus Cunha and Hwang Hee-Chan at the club, then Wolves will most likely finish higher than 14th place next term, no doubt about that.
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