Wolverhampton Wanderers are now keen on signing Manchester City midfielder Tommy Doyle, in what could be a loan deal. However, they are set to face competition from Scottish champions Celtic, according to a recent report from The Sun.
Wolves chairman Jeff Shi has recently penned an open letter to the fans, in which he detailed that it will be difficult for the club to make any major signings this summer, as a result of the limitations brought about by Financial Fair Play restrictions.
As such, there may not be many more arrivals through the door at Molineux this summer, and there is also concern over the future of manager Julen Lopetegui, with the Spaniard now considering his position, as a result of the club’s transfer woes.
However, the Old Gold continue to be linked with reinforcements in the middle of the park, following the sales of Joao Moutinho and Ruben Neves, and they are reportedly keen on signing Real Betis midfielder Guido Rodriguez.
The Molineux outfit have had “contacts” over a move for the 29-year-old, according to journalist Rudy Galetti, but they have other options in mind to bolster their midfield, with Alex Scott being considered, but Bournemouth could hijack their move for the Bristol City ace.
Scott is not the only young midfielder that Wolves have their eye on, with The Sun now reporting they are keen on Doyle, who helped Sheffield United gain promotion to the Premier League last season.
However, the Old Gold may face stiff competition for the midfielder, as Celtic are also keen on bringing him in, and the Scottish champions’ strong relationship with Manchester City could enable them to win the race for his signature
If the 21-year-old were to complete a move to Molineux, he may not be a regular starter, which leaves the door open for a move to Celtic Park, where Champions League football is on offer next season, making the Hoops an attractive option.
How good is Tommy Doyle?
There is evidence the youngster could be ready to make the step-up to the Premier League, given the part he played in Sheffield United’s promotion to the top-flight last term, making 33 appearances for the Blades, picking up three goals and four assists.
The Man City ace also weighed in with five goal contributions in 19 appearances on loan at Cardiff City during the 2021/22 season, and performed very well at youth level for the Citizens in the prior season, amassing 14 goal contributions in 18 Premier League 2 games.
Given Wolves’ financial limitations, a loan move for a player of Doyle’s calibre would make perfect sense, and there is every indication he could develop even further at Molineux, having been lauded by football talent scout Jacek Kulig, who said:
“Tommy Doyle is one of the biggest talents in Manchester City youth academy. An absolute star of English youth national teams from U-16 to U-19.”
Scott should be the Old Gold’s main target in midfield, as it would be far more beneficial to sign a player on a permanent deal, rather than on loan, but the former Sheffield United loanee could be a solid alternative option.
Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Julen Lopetegui may look to add another forward to his offensive options as he is not ‘satisfied’ with what he has in the final third at present, according to transfer insider Dean Jones.
Wolves are a little short in the final third following the departure of veteran striker Raul Jimenez, who recently joined Fulham for a fee in the region of £5 million, as per BBC Sport.
The Mexico international was a fan favourite at Molineux and notched 57 goals in 166 games for the Old Gold across five seasons at the West Midlands-based outfit.
Diego Costa also left the building earlier this window after spending a solitary campaign at Wolves last term, leaving Matheus Cunha, Sasa Kalajdzic, Hwang hee-chan and Fabio Silva as their remaining central striking options.
Southampton striker Che Adams has been linked with a move to Wolves amid competition from Everton and Bournemouth, with his current employers reportedly open to letting him leave the South Coast for a suitable fee, as per Football Insider.
Journalist Damian Iribarren has claimed that Tigre loanee Marco Retegui could also be an option for Wolves this summer and they have made contact with the Italy international, who is also wanted by Serie A side Genoa.
Speaking to Football FanCast, transfer insider Jones has indicated that Wolves could enter the market to sign another striker between now and the close of play.
Jones stated: “I believe Wolves still have an eye on signing another forward, I do not think Lopetegui is satisfied at what he has at his disposal so someone else will also come in, even if that moment arrives after the season has begun. Kalajdzic and Cunha definitely have potential to level up this Wolves team but can they totally rely on it? Probably not.”
What now for Wolverhampton Wanderers?
Wolves will continue to battle against the stringency imposed on them by Financial Fair Play regulations, which has severely limited their power to spend money in this window to add quality reinforcements, as per Telegraph Sport.
Republic of Ireland international Matt Doherty and goalkeeper Tom King have joined the Old Gold on free transfers, though it remains to be seen who else could join them at Molineux in the coming weeks, as per Transfermarkt.
Stuttgart defender Konstantinos Mavropanos is a target for both Wolves and West Ham United this summer following his consistent displays in Germany, as per The Sun. Napoli are keen on the Greek international and could turn to the 25-year-old as a potential replacement for Kim Min-jae.
Arsenal would also stand to benefit from any prospective Mavropanos move as they inserted a sell-on clause into the agreement that took him to Stuttgart back in 2022, as per LondonWorld.
Aaron Cresswell had been the subject of discussions between Wolves and West Ham United over a potential switch, though that now looks to be on ice after both sides failed to come to an agreement on a fee for the former England full-back, according to The Daily Mail.
