Wolves ready to bid for £20m Jarrad Branthwaite clone

Wolverhampton Wanderers fans may rue the £54m sale of Pedro Neto to Chelsea, but a prudent approach this summer has ensured that Gary O’Neil’s frontline is well-stocked.

Neto, moreover, has long been accepted to be Wolves’ most saleable asset and his departure surprised no one. Adding to Max Kilman’s £40m move to West Ham United earlier in the window, sales have crossed the £100m ballpark.

It’s a healthy situation to be in, and while the Neto situation has been dealt with pleasingly, Kilman is yet to be replaced. If Wolves wish to impress in the Premier League, addressing that issue feels paramount.

Wolves transfer news

According to Football Insider, Wolves have set their sights on Sheffield United centre-back Anel Ahmedhodzic, who was one of the Blades’ standout performers in the Premier League last season.

Sure, the Blades were relegated after a dismal year, but the 25-year-old proved his top-flight quality and could be a real titan in sturdier conditions at Molineux. It is perhaps for this reason that O’Neil’s are ready to ‘test [their] resolve’ with a bid.

With a mooted market price of £20m, this feels like an affordable deal for a talented defender, and Fosun have to get it done.

Why Wolves should sign Ahmedhodzic

The obvious point: O’Neil might find himself short-handed without an exciting Kilman replacement, with the Englishman excelling in progression, playing forward to influence Wolves’ attacking fluency.

Ahmedhodzic would bring the kind of steely defensive quality needed for the season ahead. Last term, in the top flight, he flattered to deceive but it was difficult to perform to the height of his level considering the catastrophic nature of the Bramall Lane team’s season.

But he still managed to showcase some of his exciting qualities. As per Sofascore, the Bosnian centre-half started 29 Premier League matches, and while he was rash at times, he averaged 2.1 tackles, 3.4 ball recoveries and 4.3 clearances per game while winning 56% of his 4.5 contested duels per match – respectable numbers for one mired in the mud of a relegation scrap.

Often have relegated players been picked from established outfits and added to strengthen the ranks, so Ahmedhodzic could be the perfect player to join a Wolves team with a pleasing level of togetherness under O’Neil’s leadership. The United titan, to put it another way, has yet to show the full scope of his talent.

This season, for example, he has starred across Sheffield United’s opening Championship fixtures, completing 93% of his passes. A strong passing game is within his capability, and the Old Gold could help him realise that.

United averaged a measly 36% of possession in the Premier League last season, ranking bottom, whereas O’Neil’s Wolves had a counter-pressing way about them but still retained the ball with greater confidence, with a 49% average that placed them 11th in that ranking.

Ahmedhodzic could bring his latent ball-playing ability to the fore while fostering his defensive acumen further, and given that FBref’s player comparison model has likened him to Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite, it’s definitely one to get over the line as soon as possible.

O’Neil’s own Jarrad Branthwaite

Branthwaite was a revelation for Everton last season, bringing authority and a rock-solid defensive skillset that saw the Merseysiders shape into one of the Premier League’s most formidable units.

Standing at 6 foot 5, he’s a daunting opponent and has even been described as an “absolute monster” by talent scout Jacek Kulig for his performances over the past 12 months.

A mainstay last season, he started 35 times in the league and has been the subject of transfer interest with Manchester United this summer, though Everton have rejected the advances and maintained that the 21-year-old will only be allowed to leave for a £75m figure, placing him in the same ballpark as the Premier League’s most expensive defenders: Virgil van Dijk, Harry Maguire and Wesley Fofana.

Ahmedhodzic does not have that same reputation right now, having sat at the epicentre of the Premier League’s worst-ever defence last season – the Blades conceded a staggering 104 goals, branding them with an unwanted record.

But he’s got talent, and a statistical deep-dive into the players’ respective 2023/24 campaigns highlights a number of metrics that suggest Wolves would be wise to snap the 24-year-old up.

Neither centre-back stood out in regard to the crispness of their passing last year, but then that is principally down to Everton and Sheffield United sitting at the bottom of the year’s possession charts.

But Ahmedhodzic was slightly more creative and more inclined to carry the ball forward, nearly equal to the Toffees sensation in goal-scoring and actually proving to be crisper in the tackle.

It seems like Wolves are focusing on signing a goalkeeper as the first port of call at this late stage of the transfer window, with The Athletic’s David Ornstein recently revealing that the Midlands side have submitted a proposal to sign England international Aaron Ramsdale from Arsenal on a loan deal that would contain a clause to make the move permanent.

This would be a major step in the right direction and is clearly the issue currently being addressed, but Ramsdale will need a sturdy backline in front of him and Ahmedhodzic could complete the set.

Therefore, Wolves simply have to get the signing of the defender over the line. He’s demonstrated that he has the right skillset to succeed in the Premier League and could ensure that a smooth season lies ahead for an ambitious outfit.