Speaking after Wolves’ goalless draw with Brighton on Monday night, manager Gary O’Neil said the club would “hopefully” be able to add a striker to the squad before the end of the January transfer window. Wolves have already allowed Fabio Silva (Rangers) and Sasa Kalajdzic (Eintracht Frankfurt) to leave on loan this month, and they need to find a replacement.
O’Neil explained that Wolves had to reduce their wage bill to put themselves in a position where they could “push the button” on an incoming deal. Indeed, the Molineux outfit still aren’t out of the woods when it comes to complying with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules, and that could lead them to sign players on an initial loan deal with a later option or obligation to buy. A move for Chelsea’s Armando Broja could fit that bill.
Wolves in touch over Broja deal
Writing for HITC football, journalist Graeme Bailey says Wolves have “expressed interest” in Broja. Along with Premier League rivals Fulham, Crystal Palace and West Ham, they’ve made contact with Chelsea over a potential deal.
Significantly, the Blues are ready to let him go because he “doesn’t have a long-term future” at Stamford Bridge. While they’re willing to sanction a loan at first, that would have to include an obligation to buy, with their price tag for the Albanian set at £35m.
Broja can address issues exposed vs Brighton
Wolves’ stalemate at the Amex Stadium showed exactly why signing a new number nine is so important. Their problems were twofold – they struggled to create, fashioning just four shooting chances inside the penalty area, and they couldn’t capitalise on their few openings, spurning 1.15 xG and a big chance.
The conclusion to draw here is that Wolves need a predatory forward whose movement can generate opportunities, and who’s then clinical enough to beat the goalkeeper. Their overreliance on Hwang Hee-chan, who’s currently away at the Asian Cup with South Korea, may already have been exposed. Indeed, he’s the only player in the squad to score more than seven this season (he has 11), and only one of two to surpass four (alongside Matheus Cunha on seven).
On the surface, Broja may not seem like an obvious solution, having only scored twice in 17 appearances (or 616 minutes) this season. However, it’s worth stressing that he only returned from a nine-month absence in September after tearing his ACL, so he may need a little more time to ramp up to his absolute best
In his last injury-free season in 2021/22, he impressively scored nine goals in 38 appearances on loan at Southampton as a 19/20 year-old. You can see, then, why manager Mauricio Pochettino regards him as a player with “huge potential” and “amazing” ability, even if he’s struggling to live up to Chelsea’s “massive” expectations for the moment. The Blues are struggling down in ninth in the table this season, and that’s putting huge pressure on an inexperienced figure in Broja. He may therefore benefit from a move to Wolves, where he’d enjoy the luxury of greater patience.
