3 Positions Wolves must strengthen with their £50million loan

According to Birmingham Live, Wolves have been sanctioned a loan of £50million, with coach Nuno set to receive half the amount this season regardless of where they finish in the Premier League. Nuno surprised almost everyone by securing a Europa League qualification berth in his first season after getting promoted to the English top flight.

Now with the money set to arrive, let’s have a look at three positions where Wolves must strengthen to keep their European football hopes alive. Even though Wolves brought in a number of players at the beginning of the season, which also includes the permanent deal of club-record signing of Raul Jimenez for £30m from Benfica, they need more strengthening in order to compete.

Right Winger

Nuno has always preferred a back three with either four or five in the midfield and Diego Jota and Raul Jimenez in the front. Adama Traore is the regular starter on the right flank and has performed up to the expectations of the coach and fans.

He scored a brace in Wolves’ 2-0 win over defending champions Manchester City. Even though he is a threat to the opposition due to his pace, his consistency is one thing that should urge Nuno to bring a competitor to push him further.

Creative Midfielder

Joao Moutinho is the only midfielder in Nuno’s squad who has the ability to work around the ball. Moutinho has featured in all Premier League games this season and has also started in all but one. Despite so many minutes to play, he has produced just one assist and has failed to find the back of the net this season.

Moutinho is 33 years old and has his position in the starting XI unchallenged. With Wolves playing the extra fixture in the Europa League, questions will arise about the physical capability of Moutinho. A creative midfielder is the backbone of any team’s attack and any coach would want his most important to be fit and available.

Goalkeeper

Nuno must certainly have in mind to build a team for the future as they progress. Rui Patricio is Wolves’ regular goalkeeper, starting in the Premier League and Europa League fixtures this season. He also featured in all but one Premier League games last season. He has raised his bar from last season’s performance and has already kept three clean sheets as compared to last season’s eight.

However, Patricio is 31 and has just a few good seasons at the top level. Wolves’ second-choice goalkeeper John Ruddy too is 32 and would hardly force his way into the starting XI. Nuno must buy a young goalkeeper and gave him some experience in easy fixtures, which will be very helpful when the time arrives.