Wolves could land £17m star with 'huge amount of talent'

Everything has changed recently Wolverhampton Wanderers. They ended what had been a bad 2024 by sacking former head coach Gary O'Neill and replacing him with the experienced coach. Vitor Pereira.

The Portuguese coach made a great start to his Molineux campaign, winning two matches, drawing one and losing one The first four matches are responsible. All in all, it's off to a positive start and the old gold is now that way Outside the landing zone.

As is often the case under a new coach, there have been changes in the squad, with some players missing. This was certainly the case for Mario Lemina under Pereira.

Lemina for the 2024/25 season

When talking about all the changes that have occurred at Wolves in the last few weeks, perhaps no player can relate to that more than Lemina. It's been a difficult time for the Gabonese midfielder, starting with Removal from the position of captain When O'Neill was manager.

A fight broke out between Lemina and Bowen at the end of the Gold's away defeat to West Ham last December, which “sparked the conversation” for a change in leadership, according to O'Neill.

With the appointment of a new manager, things have gotten off to a slow start for the former Wolves captain. A A calf strain kept him out Of Pereira's first three matches, he only made a fleeting appearance off the bench against Nottingham Forest in the 3-0 defeat at Molineux.

This was a great opportunity to impress Birmingham Live journalist Charlie Haffenden Lemina didn't seem to play very well. He gave the Wolves midfielder 4/10 for his efforts, stating that he “couldn't have defended much worse” than Taiwo Awoni's goal which was Forest's third of the night.

All the things that have happened over the past few months may be leaving Lemina—and he is He is said to be keen to move on – In an interesting position at Wolves, and certainly not a guaranteed starter. His role in the team could come into further question with the Old Gold targeting a new midfielder.

Wolves can get the perfect Lemina upgrade

The player in question here is Colombian international Richard Rios. According to a report by Brazilian news outlet RTI – who emerged over the weekend – The Old Gold are interested in signing the midfielder, who is highly regarded by Pereira.

The price is unclear, but Manchester United was A £17m bid is reportedly set to be made For the 24-year-old Palmeiras player during the summer. If Wolves decide to pursue the move, they could face competition from Fulham, who are also interested.

The Colombian star was a key player for Palmeiras last season. I have He played 49 matches Across competitions, he has scored four goals and had five assists. He also played a key role in his country's national team reaching the 2024 Copa America final, where it qualified I started all six From their games.

Like Lemina, Reus is a hard-working midfielder and powerful striker. However, his biggest strength lies on the ball. The Colombian is elegant with the ball at his feet and is also a progressive and creative midfielder.

According to Statistics on FBrefHe would certainly be an upgrade for the former Wolves captain. For example, the 24-year-old is averaging 1.39 forward passes and 5.31 forward passes per game, compared to Lemina's 0.59 forward passes and 3.22 forward passes.

A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent's goal or any completed pass inside the penalty area.

Without the ball, they are closer statistically, yet Reus averages more possessions back per 90 minutes than the Gabonese international. Specifically, he got a 6.55 compared to the Wolves man's 4.8.

The deal to bring Reus to Molineux does not appear to break Wolves' budget. At just £17m or so, upgrading the midfield by signing a 24-year-old who has a “huge amount of talent” is a reasonable price. As football analyst Ben Mattinson said.

If this is a deal that the Old Gold can get through, it would certainly strengthen Pereira's squad and increase their chances of survival.