Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly contemplating whether to make an approach for a defender who has previously represented fierce rivals West Bromwich Albion.
Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly toying with the idea of making a move for Burnley defender Dara O’Shea.
Earlier in the summer transfer window, the West Midlands outfit cashed in on club captain Max Kilman who signed for West Ham United in a £40m deal.
Former club Maidenhead United received a 10% sell-on fee as part of the previously-agreed terms with Wolves, yet the Premier League outfit were effectively making pure profit in the eyes of the division’s Profit and Sustainability regulations.
However, despite the coffers being further boosted by the sale of Pedro Neto for £54m, Wolves are yet to further loosen the purse-strings as has been anticipated by their fanbase.
According to John Percy of The Telegraph, there are currently no plans for a significant spending spree over the next two weeks.
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O’Shea emerges as top defensive target
Percy reports that the Wolves hierarchy are currently only prepared to spend in the region of £20m if further sales are not made in due course.
Fosun International has allegedly made the decision to safeguard the club’s financial position, even though Wolves’ net spend is well inside the current rules.
Burnley defender O’Shea is said to have been identified as a target with O’Neil eager to add another central-defensive player to his ranks.
That would be a particularly notable transfer courtesy of O’Shea having spent eight years, including as an academy player, with arch rivals West Bromwich Albion between 2015 and 2023.
The Republic of Ireland international made 107 appearances for the Baggies before making the switch to Burnley last summer for £7m.
Nevertheless, Wolves are no strangers to completing a deal in such circumstances with another former West Brom defender in Craig Dawson already part of their defensive setup.
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How could the rest of the summer pan out for Wolves?
Given the loan return of Yerson Mosquera, Wolves already have a ready-made replacement for Kilman, and they are well equipped in other areas of the pitch aside from arguably central midfield.
Other players such as Daniel Podence, Chiquinho and Goncalo Guedes are regarded as available should a suitable bid be received, yet O’Neil included all three in his squad for Saturday’s game at Arsenal.
Wolves also hope to part ways with Fabio Silva, even if it is on a season-long loan deal with the obligation to buy, and some youngsters will be loaned out.
As it stands, it appears that supporters may have to make do with just one more incoming, and there will be notable frustration with the stance that is being taken by Fosun after the issues that arose last year and the well-documented attempt at an increase in ticket prices.