Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in Sporting CP forward Youssef Chermiti, as Julen Lopetegui bids to replenish his strike options this summer.

The Spaniard will have a number of targets to strengthen his side in the transfer window, however not many are deemed as important as recruiting forwards, with the Old Gold ending last season as the Premier League’s lowest-scorers.

Could Wolves sign Youssef Chermiti?

As reported by Portuguese outlet Record earlier this week, representatives of Wolves were present during Sporting’s pre-season friendly against Genk to watch Chermiti.

The report adds that there have been ‘exploratory contacts’ to the forward, who could be sold for a fee in the region of €20m (£17m), with a 20% figure of a future sale added.

There’s no clarity that the contact has come from Wolves, however, with scouts present and a potential deal available far cheaper than his €80m (£69m) release clause, the move could be smart for the Midlands side.

How good is Youssef Chermiti?

Having once been lauded as a “superb prospect” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the teenager has impressed in his rise through the ranks at Sporting.

Deployed as a centre-forward, the youngster adds a strong presence to the front line due to his goal-poaching ability and colossus 6 foot 4 structure.

For Wolves, the youngster could be the perfect summer signing, considering the problems the club have had in the final third under Lopetegui so far.

In 38 Premier League games last term, the Old Gold scored just 31 goals, highlighting the importance of capturing a goalscorer this summer.

At 19, Chermiti has asserted himself as a popular figure in the first team of his boyhood club, making 16 Primeira Liga appearances last season in which he scored three goals and assisted twice.

Averaging 0.54 non-penalty xG per 90, the Portuguese starlet has shown strong potential in leading the line, making him a possibly strong acquisition for Lopetegui to chase.

Wolves’ forwards last term scored just four goals between them, with Raul Jimenez failing to score, Diego Costa netting once and Hee-Chan Hwang scoring three in the entire Premier League season.

Introducing a young forward with the hunger to take his career to the next level could be a fundamental move for Molienux, who are beginning to phase into the next steps of their journey to developing their squad under Lopetegui.

Noted by The Scouting App as being a stand-out player for his ‘great physicality, explosiveness, sense of goal and eccentricity’, the 19-year-old could be a breath of fresh air at Wolves if given the license to showcase his talents as the favoured forward.

The youngster could fit in well at Molineux, taking into consideration the level of talent around him, with the likes of Matheus Nunes and Matheus Cunha being players of high intensity and skill in the final third.

Nunes is a player the teenager is familiar with, due to their paths crossing at Sporting prior to his move to Wolves, making him a potential suitor to play around due to their knowledge of each other’s approach to play.

Lopetegui must recruit a forward this summer, in the bid to not only bolster Wolves’ outlet in front of goal but to encourage a rise in performance of others in the side, who are desperate to see their creativity amount to more in the coming season.

Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Julen Lopetegui will eye ‘something a little bit different’ in the forward positions as he looks to recruit some quality ahead of this term commencing, according to journalist Dean Jones.

Which forward players have Wolverhampton Wanderers been linked with this window?

Wolves have been linked with a plethora of players this window as Lopetegui kicks his transfer proactivity into gear at Molineux with the start of the new Premier League campaign now on the horizon.

Last month, Marca reported that former Chelsea forward Joao Felix wouldn’t close the door on a move to Premier League side outwith the elite clubs in the division. Wolves were cited as a potential destination alongside the likes of Aston Villa and Newcastle United.

Football Insider claim that the Old Gold are ‘closing in’ on bringing Bristol City playmaker Alex Scott to Molineux and will submit a third bid for the Guerney-born man following two initial offers being rejected for his services, with the second offer believed to be in the region of £20 million.

The report states that Bournemouth are also keen on the 19-year-old, though Wolves have the ‘upper hand’ over the Cherries as they try to secure the services of the England Under-20 cap.

Lopetegui has already started to get to work on new additions this window and has completed the signings of experienced goalkeeper Tom King and Matt Doherty.

Speaking to Football FanCast, journalist Jones thinks that Lopetegui will aim to sign someone who can offer something ‘different’ in the final third.

Jones told FFC: “I reckon that Wolves might look to do something smart in terms of a forward signing and I think they might go dig into a league that offers better value. It might even be Portugal, to be honest, but somebody that’s going to offer them something a little bit different and that could be another gem.”

Who should Wolverhampton Wanderers look to recruit in the forward areas?

Even though it would be an extremely difficult deal to pull off, bringing someone like Atletico Madrid forward Felix to the club and utilising all available connections to make that happen would definitely offer Wolves some much-needed variety in the final third.

His time at Chelsea was short and uninspiring for sure; however, the 23-year-old has notched 56 goals and 24 assists in 184 club career matches and would be a statement signing at Molineux, as per FBRef.

Even in his disappointing spell at Stamford Bridge, Felix carried a clear goal threat and willingness to bypass his marker with regularity, recording 2.9 shots and 1.4 completed dribbles per match in the Premier League, according to WhoScored.

Nevertheless, it could be a more likely scenario for Felix to join Catalan giants Barcelona this summer, according to transfer expert Fabrizio Romano, who stated on his YouTube channel quoted via METRO: “Now it’s really important to mention that Joao Felix, in a direct conversation I just had a few minutes ago, told me: ‘I want to go to Barcelona’. Joao Felix told me this very clear statement, he added that Barcelona is the biggest dream of his life since he was a kid and it’s his first choice on the market. These are the words from Joao Felix, he added at the end of the conversation that if this happens it would be a dream come true.”

In the next few weeks, we will get a clearer picture of where Wolves’ transfer priorities lie as Lopetegui streamlines his squad between now and the close of play in the market.