Wolves Can Find Dream Neto Partner In £20m Swoop

The transfer window officially opened for business earlier this month and Wolverhampton Wanderers should be in the market to improve their options at the top end of the pitch.

Julen Lopetegui’s side were able to beat off a relegation battle with relative ease to finish 13th in the Premier League table but their lack of potency in the final third throughout the campaign was concerning.

Their tally of 31 goals in 38 matches was the lowest in the entire division and they were one of only four teams to fail to average at least one strike per game.

What are Chuba Akpom’s statistics?

Lopetegui could go a long way to solving his team’s goalscoring woes by securing a deal to sign Middlesbrough centre-forward Chuba Akpom, who is coming off the back of an exceptional season in the Championship.

The reported transfer target, who has been valued at £20m, is a player with the potential to be a prolific scorer, based on his form in the second tier, and pairing him with current Wolves winger Pedro Neto could help him to fulfil his promise in the Premier League.

Since the start of 2020/21, the Portuguese wizard has created 9.95 expected assists (xA) for his teammates in the top flight and has been rewarded with seven assists for his efforts.

This suggests that his fellow attackers have been letting him down over the last few years as they have not been able to make the most of the quality chances that the £50k-per-week ace has provided them with.

Therefore, Wolves could finally benefit from Neto’s excellent creativity by signing a striker who has the quality to overperform in front of goal, instead of wasting chance after chance.

Akpom could be that player as the 27-year-old finisher plundered an eye-catching 28 goals in 38 Championship matches for Middlesbrough from 21.9 xG, which showcases his ability to be clinical when opportunities fall his way.

The former Arsenal youth prospect ranks in the top 4% of forwards in the Men’s Next Eight Competitions for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.70) over the last 365 days which illustrates how impressive the Boro number 29 has been in front of goal.

He has significantly outperformed his xG in the second division of English football and the prolific dynamo, who was hailed for his ability to score “stunning” goals by journalist Josh Bunting, must now prove himself in the Premier League.

Wolves pairing him with a player like Neto, who has the ability to create good opportunities for his teammates, could allow the English hotshot to thrive and in the process, solve the club’s goalscoring issues.