Wolves: £22m star could become ‘big asset for Lopetegui’ at Molineux
Wolverhampton Wanderers have set their sights on beating Premier League rivals to the signing of a £22million defender
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Wolverhampton Wanderers have set their sights on beating Premier League rivals to the signing of a £22million defender
Wolverhampton Wanderers are set to enter crucial discussions ‘in the next few days’ as they look to tempt Galatasaray star Victor Nelsson to Molineux, transfer insider Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT.
Wolves head coach Julen Lopetegui is in the market for a new central defender after allowing Nathan Collins to seal a £23million switch to Brentford earlier this month.
According to Danish media outlet Ekstra Bladet, Wolves and Tottenham Hotspur are battling it out for Nelsson’s signature as they look to offer him a route into the Premier League ahead of the upcoming campaign.
The report suggests Galatasaray will only entertain selling the 24-year-old, who made 35 appearances last season, if the £22million buyout clause written into his contract is paid in full.
It is understood that Wolves failed with a £12.8million offer earlier this month, while Arsenal have also been keeping tabs on Nelsson ahead of potentially heading to the negotiating table.
Galatasaray vice-president Erden Timur has admitted that the Denmark international has been the subject of bids since the summer window opened for business.
The Turkish giants are not under pressure to sell Nelsson as his contract, which sees him pocket just over £20,000-per-week, still has three years to run.
Although Jones understands that Wolves are struggling to tempt Galatasaray into doing business, he is in no doubt that Nelsson would be a shrewd addition to Lopetegui’s side.
The respected journalist is aware that the West Midlands side are intending to hold further discussions with the defender’s current employers in the coming days, which could prove crucial in their pursuit.
Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “He is definitely a player that can bring real possibilities to Wolves. In terms of their style of play, I think he could be a big asset.
“A couple of sources I’ve spoken to have played this one down, not necessarily in terms of the interest, but in terms of the progress being made.
“It’ll be interesting to see what the contacts are in the next few days because I think that will probably determine whether it can happen.”
Matt Doherty appears to be on the verge of returning to Wolves as, according to The Athletic, he is in advanced talks over a move back to Molineux.
The report suggests positive discussions have been held with the right-back, who left Wanderers for Tottenham in a £14.7million deal close to three years ago and is now a free agent after his Atletico Madrid contract expired at the end of last month.
Doherty made 302 appearances during his first spell with Wolves, racking up 69 goal contributions along the way.
Transfer insider Jones recently told GIVEMESPORT that a move for the Irishman suits Lopetegui as it does not involve having to dip into his threadbare budget.
But a key man who could head through the exit door is Jose Sa after Nottingham Forest have identified him as an alternative target to Manchester United goalkeeper Dean Henderson.