Wolves’ pursuit of £25m striker takes a twist as Champions League club joins transfer race
Attacking reinforcements must be a priority for Wolves this summer.
The signing of Fer Lopez from Celta Vigo is a good start, with the 21-year-old Spaniard described by one Celta expert as having a similar style of play to Jude Bellingham.
However, additional forwards are needed if the club is to make up for the goals lost following Matheus Cunha’s move to Manchester United.
Statistic Number
Goals scored by Cunha 15
Assists provided by Cunha 6
Cunha’s total goal contributions 21
Total number of goals scored by Wolves 54
Percentage of Wolves’ goals that Cunha was involved in 28%
Matheus Cunha’s 2024/25 Premier League stats, as they relate to Wolves
Unfortunately, however, Wolves’ pursuit of one particular striker has taken a blow following news that a side in next season’s Champions League is also interested.
Villarreal want Evann Guessand from Nice
The striker in question is Nice’s Evann Guessand.
The 24-year-old Ivory Coast international scored 13 goals and provided nine assists in 42 appearances in all competitions for his side last season as Nice finished fourth in Ligue 1, just missing out on direct qualification for the Champions League.
Wolves make £25m bid for Celta Vigo striker Jorgen Strand Larsen… after the Norwegian forward netted 13 La Liga goals last season | Daily Mail Online
In June, Wolves saw an offer for Guessand rejected, with Nice looking for a fee in the region of £25m for their striker, according to Africa Foot.
Now, following news of Fenerbahce’s interest in Guessand, Villarreal have joined the race for the exciting striker.
According to Inside Futbol, Guessand’s ‘performances last season left a strong impression on the Villarreal hierarchy’.
That information is corroborated by French outlet Foot Mercato, who add that while the ‘striker is in Villarreal’s sights,’ the club have not yet submitted a formal offer for the Ivorian.
The pull of Champions League football could be too much for Evann Guessand to resist
Following reports of the Old Gold’s initial bid, it later emerged that Guessand did not follow up on Wolves’ approach, seeming to favour a move to Fenerbahce instead.
With Villarreal joining the race for the striker, another spanner has been thrown into the works for Vitor Pereira’s side.
Of the clubs currently interested in him, only Villarreal are confirmed to be playing Champions League football next season, with Fenerbahce needing to make their way through the qualifiers for the competition first, alongside Nice.
Considering how close Nice came to joining Europe’s elite competition directly via Ligue 1 – they missed out by one point on the final day of the season to Monaco – the opportunity to play in the Champions League via the Yellow Submarine could therefore prove too difficult to resist.
Position Team Wins Draws Losses Points Qualified for
1st PSG 26 6 2 84 Champions League (UCL)
2nd Marseille 20 5 9 65 UCL
3rd Monaco 18 7 9 61 UCL
4th Nice 17 9 8 60 UCL qualifiers
5th Lille 17 9 8 60 Europa League
6th Lyon 17 6 11 57 Europa League
Final Ligue 1 table for the 2024/25 season
Alternatively, Guessand also has other Premier League interest, with West Ham and Brighton vying for his signature.
As such, it might be best for Wolves to move on and consider other targets, especially ones that seem more interested in playing at Molineux.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde reveals what is now so much ‘better’ at Wolves after Vitor Pereira replaced Gary O’Neil
Jean Ricner-Bellegarde was one of several players to enjoy an upturn in form after Vitor Pereira was appointed as Wolves’ new head coach.
Being deployed by Gary O’Neil out wide at the start of the 2024/25 campaign, Bellegarde was moved more central and further forward in Pereira’s system.
With the double midfield pivot of Joao Gomes and Andre behind, it led to an immediate improvement in results as Wolves climbed away from the Premier League drop zone.
Now, Bellegarde has spoken out about what else Pereira improved following Gary O’Neil’s sacking, pointing to one trait in particular.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde dribbles with the ball for Wolves in their Premier League match against Southampton.
Photo by Jack Thomas – WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde says Wolves’ mentality improved under Vitor Pereira
Speaking to Wolves’ official website, Bellegarde was asked to give his thoughts after completing his second season at Molineux.
In response, the midfielder said: “I’m happy because I played a lot, but last season was very difficult because we didn’t win a lot of the first games, but the end of the season was good for the team and our mentality is better.”
A lot certainly improved after the managerial change, with Pereira setting several new records at Wolves as part of the six-game winning run the club went on towards the back-end of last season.
