Wolverhampton Wanderers had enjoyed an exceptional start to life under new boss Vitor Pereira in the Premier League, up until Nuno Espirito Santo’s Nottingham Forest travelled to Molineux to sour the high spirits.
Indeed, the high-flying away side convincingly put the Old Gold to the sword in a 3-0 defeat, leaving Wolves precariously near the drop zone but just outside of it on goal difference.
Pereira will want his side to be a lot sterner in defence in matches to come, having kept a clean sheet during his debut match away at Leicester City, only to then be turned over in worrying fashion to start 2025.
Therefore, new defensive additions are firmly on the Portuguese manager’s mind, with a number of deals reportedly in the works.
Wolves looking at new centre-back
As per a report by Daily Mail Online, Wolves are now in the hunt for reserve Chelsea defender Renato Veiga as another option to improve their numbers at the back.
AFC Bournemouth are also reportedly sniffing around from the Premier League, with Veiga perhaps fancying a move away already from Stamford Bridge due to limited game-time, despite only joining last summer.
This wouldn’t be the only new possible recruit at Wolves when it comes to defensive additions, with a deal edging ever closer for Emmanuel Agbadou to join the ranks from Rennes, alongside this fresh news that the ex-Basel man could soon join him in through the door.
After all, Pereira’s side do hold the unwanted tag of being the leakiest defence in the top flight this season, with 45 goals in total leaked, meaning fresh new improvements might well see more resolute displays moving forward.
Alongside helping out at the back, the potential acquisition of the Blues youngster could give Rayan Ait-Nouri more freedom to attack down the left, with Veiga a left-sided defender by nature who will likely sit back whilst the Algerian excels roaming forward.
What Veiga could offer Wolves
The Portuguese target would make a name for himself as a battling presence defensively playing for Basel back in the Swiss Super League, with a stunning seven ball recoveries averaged per league clash during his standout 2023/24 campaign, leading to Chelsea forking out £12m to land the exciting defender.
Of course, his opportunities in the main team in the Premier League under Enzo Maresca have been limited due to the breadth of options at the Italian’s disposal, but when he has started for his new side in the Europa Conference League, he has impressed.
Stat
Veiga
Minutes played
90
Goals scored
1
Assists
0
Touches
98
Accurate passes
68/77 (88%)
Shots on goal
5
Total duels won
2/5
Interceptions
3
Stats by Sofascore
His showing versus Astana shows off an adaptability in Veiga’s game that will make him an even more attractive buy for Wolves, with a goal picked up in the Conference League when playing down the channels, away from strictly being a defensive option.
Of course – in the Old Gold’s current predicament – they would like Veiga to be more of an option they can throw into the mix as one of three centre-backs, which he can also do with the majority of his appearances for Basel either coming in defensive midfield or in a more traditional centre-back position.
Playing the new potential Wolves buy here would allow Ait Nouri to prosper further up the pitch, with his link-up play often a joy to watch when he’s at full pelt, leading to him amassing eight goal contributions this season in league action from just 19 games.
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Last match, instead of causing Forest problems in this capacity, Ait Nouri was selected to play as one of three centre-backs by Pereira, culminating in Wolves drawing blanks all night long.
As such, having an addition like Veiga in the building could allow the Algerian to have the freedom to bomb on down the left flank in his preferred wing-back role, safe in the knowledge that he has quality cover behind him in the form of the current Chelsea man.
Once referred to as a “hidden gem” by football data analyst Ben Mattinson, Veiga will hope a move this January can make him become a leading man for whatever side takes him on, with Pereira hopeful this addition can provide more defensive solidity for his team during testing times.
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