Wolves have been linked with a summer transfer move for Burnley centre-back Nathan Collins.
What’s the news?
According to a recent transfer report from talkSPORT journalist Alex Crook, Wolves are one of the clubs monitoring the Republic of Ireland international following the Lancashire club’s relegation from the Premier League.
After working his way through Stoke City’s youth ranks, the defender joined Burnley last summer in a deal worth a reported fee of around £12m. Throughout his debut season at Turf Moor, the 21-year-old made just 19 league appearances for the Clarets but still managed to show how capable a defender he is at top-flight level.
In those 19 games, Collins – who has been labelled a “remarkable” player by his national team boss Stephen Kenny following a stunning goal for his country in midweek – won 23 tackles and made 48 blocks, 37 interceptions and 102 clearances, as per FBRef.
His overall performances earned him a season rating of 6.89/10 from WhoScored, making him Burnley’s fourth-highest rated player for the campaign.
Despite Burnley’s relegation, the £9m-rated youngster still proved to be a useful defensive unit, which could be why the Old Gold – along with Leeds United and Aston Villa – have their eyes on him.
Wolves’ next Coady?
If Wolves were to secure a deal for the Burnley defender this summer, this could see them land what might be their next version of current centre-back Conor Coady.
Having played in Liverpool’s youth ranks, the Molineux club signed the 29-year-old from Huddersfield back in 2015. Since then, the Englishman has gone on to make 317 appearances for the Old Gold.
In terms of his defensive talent, over 38 league games last season, the Wolves captain won 18 tackles and made 64 blocks, 44 interceptions and 150 clearances, as per FBRef.
Would you like to see Wolves sign Nathan Collins?
This shows just how similar he is to Collins, not just in terms of transfer history, but also by how impressive and robust they are at the back.
Given the age difference between the two players, while Coady isn’t likely to be out the door any time soon, having Collins in their squad could save Wolves from having to find a suitable replacement for their current skipper further down the line.
It’s safe to suggest that Burnley won’t want to see another defender wave goodbye to Turf Moor following Ben Mee and James Tarkowski’s recent departures, but if an opportunity arises for Wolves to sign the Irish youngster, they should be all over it ahead of their Premier League rivals.
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