Some may have worried for Wolverhampton Wanderers when Julen Lopetegui left at the end of pre-season, but the arrival of Gary O’Neil quickly put an end to any concerns. The former Bournemouth boss has eased any relegation fears so far this season and has the Midlands club sitting comfortably in mid-table.
Now, he could get the opportunity to welcome some January reinforcements, which could see his side take things up a level or two. Reports suggest that Wolves could also have an eye on the summer transfer window, however, with the chance to sign one particular League One gem who has attracted interest from a number of Premier League sides.
Wolves transfer news
Given how late O’Neil arrived, he didn’t quite get the chance to make his mark on the Wolves squad during the summer transfer window, meaning that January and next summer could be crucial windows for his tenure. Whilst the manager’s immediate attention could be on keeping the Midlands club in the Premier League, he may help them on their way to returning to the top half of England’s top flight with the right additions, which could include one potential future star next summer.
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Cunha, Hwang and Kalajdzic are currently the club’s best hopes in front of goal.
According to Will Unwin of The Guardian, Wolves are monitoring Barnsley youngster Vimal Yoganathan ahead of a possible move, alongside Brentford, Bournemouth and Championship side Southampton. All four clubs have their eye on the 17-year-old, who also reportedly has a professional deal on the table at Barnsley.
If Yoganathan fails to sign a professional contract at the League One side, then he could leave on a cut-price deal upon the expiry of his current deal during the summer transfer window. That could then see the likes of Wolves swoop in and land the former Liverpool academy man ahead of Premier League rivals Brentford and Bournemouth.
Wolves would be wise to sign “intelligent” Yoganathan
If Wolves want to avoid future relegation battles, then ensuring that they’ve got young talent with the potential to step into O’Neil’s side could be the key in the long run. Those at Molineux have seen the likes of Pedro Neto and Max Kilman grow into top Premier League options in the last few years and will now be looking to find their next star man. And that may well be Yoganathan.
The central midfielder has already earned some minutes for Barnsley’s first team this season, making appearances in the FA Cup and EFL Cup as well as playing in the EFL Trophy. At 17 years of age, the only way could be up for Yoganathan, whether that be at his current club or, indeed, Wolves or elsewhere in English football. Certainly rated highly by those at Barnsley, former player Bobby Hassell was full of praise for Yoganathan back in April, saying: “He’s had a really good season. He’s six foot three but needs to get stronger. He loves a tackle, is an intelligent player and can score goals.”
With that said, whilst Wolves’ focus will be on the current task at hand – maintaining their Premier League status – those at the club could have one eye on Yoganathan’s progress at Barnsley ahead of a potential move, making this one to watch.
