Wolves typically attach themselves to previous success, and under the guidance of Nuno Espirito Santo, the Old Gold lived the dream.
Promotion to the Premier League in 2018 followed incredible achievements as Wolves qualified for the Europa League on back-to-back occasions in 2019 and 2020.
Supporters lived through a golden period as manager Nuno Espirito Santo inspired new-found success at Molineux, which saw the likes of Ruben Neves, Diogo Jota and Joao Moutinho flourish.
Nuno built his squad’s core with fantastic Portuguese talent, and many immersed themselves as heroes during this period.
But whilst Wolves fans experienced joy on the pitch, they also witnessed the club miss out on several players in the transfer window.
Wolves missed out on signing England international Ezri Konsa for £12 million
In his excellent tenure at Wolves, Nuno always looked for players to take his side to even higher levels.
The Portuguese boss utilised a three-man defence, requiring his centre-backs to be comfortable in possession.
Captain Conor Coady epitomised what the manager wanted from his defenders, using the Englishman as an example.
This is why, according to The Times, Wolves were close to sealing a £12 million transfer for ball-playing defender Ezri Konsa from Brentford in 2019.
But despite the report suggesting a deal was almost done, it was Midlands rivals Aston Villa who swooped in to sign Konsa in July 2019.
Unfortunately, missing out on the Englishman has proven to be a huge blow to Wolves, as the 27-year-old is now arguably one of the best defenders in the Premier League and a fully fledged England international.
Konsa has also played a vital role on Villa’s return to the Champions League, helping them reach the quarter-finals where they’ll play PSG.
How Konsa compares to Emmanuel Agbadou
Thomas Tuchel selected Konsa in his first squad as England manager, with the Aston Villa star preparing to come against Albania and Latvia.
Konsa is inarguably one of England’s best defenders, cementing his place at either right-back or centre-back, having played a starring role during Euro 2024.
Missing out on the Villa man was a bitter pill to swallow for Wolves but luckily, they signed Emmanuel Agbadou in January, and he’s been a revelation in defence.
Agbadou won the Player of the Month award in January, with the Ivorian powerhouse slotting seamlessly into the defence.
It’s been an impressive start to life at Molineux for the 27-year-old, and here’s how he compares against Konsa statistically.
| Statistic per 90 past year | Emmanuel Agbadou | Ezri Konsa |
| Tackles | 2.16 | 1.21 |
| Interceptions | 1.57 | 0.76 |
| Blocks | 1.60 | 1 |
| Clearances | 5.09 | 2.37 |
| Successful take-ons | 0.73 | 0.24 |
| Pass completion | 85.6% | 91.8% |
| Shot-creating actions | 1.22 | 0.81 |
Agbadou smashes Konsa across several defensive metrics, and that isn’t surprising considering the Ivorian has perhaps needed to do more defending.
But the Wolves man has also held his own with the ball at his feet compared to Konsa, implying what a brilliant signing he’s been.