With Wolves’ transfer budget throughout the remaining weeks reportedly limited, the club will have to be smart to replace Max Kilman.
It was reported on Monday that Wolves only have £20 million to spend before the transfer window shuts. This is despite Wolves bringing in over £90 million from the departures of Pedro Neto and Kilman.
As a result, O’Neil has been left in a precarious position, with replacements still needed for two of his former star players.
A new centre-back was arguably needed before Kilman’s departure, with Wolves struggling to keep clean sheets throughout the latter half of the 2023/24 campaign.
Therefore, Molineux News has highlighted, five potential defenders Wolves should target who could be available for under £20 million over the next week and a half.
Trevoh Chalobah
Progressing through Chelsea’s academy, Trevoh Chalobah is seen to have plenty of potential.
After numerous loans away from the club, the centre-back worked his way into the first team during the 2021/22 campaign. Since then, the 25-year-old has made 80 appearances for the capital club, helping them win the FA Cup, Super Cup and the Club World Cup.
However, going into the new season, Chalobah is widely expected to leave. The defender has been exiled by incoming manager Enzo Maresca and is training away from the first team.
This could allow Wolves to swoop in and get a young player who is widely experienced in the Premier League for cheap.
Kevin Danso
One of the two Euro 2024 stars on this list, Kevin Danso has impressed for both club and country recently.
The centre-back currently plays for Lens in Ligue 1 and competed in the Champions League last season.
He is now set to follow this up with another appearance in Europe this campaign with Lens set to compete in the Europa Conference League.
Danso is also an experienced international and played for Austria in the 2024 Euros where the country had an impressive tournament, winning their group.
Wolves have been linked to Danso previously, but no move has materialised yet.
With the 25-year-old also having Premier League experience behind him thanks to a short loan spell at Southampton, the defender could be a fine addition.
Read more: Wolves’ net spend under Fosun compared.
Maxence Lacroix
Maxence Lacroix is currently making his trade in the Bundesliga for Wolfsburg and has spent the last four campaigns at the club.
The Frenchman has made a name for himself in Germany and even helped his club qualify for the Champions League during the 2021/22 season.
However, after making 130 appearances for Wolfsburg, his time may now be coming to an end. The centre-back has less than one year left on his contract and has shown no signs of renewing it.
For Wolves, on top of his tackling skills, Lacroix could offer pace at the back. His maximum speed is 36.13km/h which could balance out Craig Dawson as the Old Gold player comes towards the end of his career.
Dara O’Shea
A centre-back who has already been strongly linked to Wolves, Dara O’Shea has just been sent back down to the Championship with Burnley after their relegation.
The Irishman progressed through West Brom’s academy before earning a move to the Clarets following their promotion to the Premier League.
However, despite making 33 appearances in the top flight last season, he was unable to keep his new team in the division.
O’Shea is now reportedly on Wolves’ radar going into the final weeks of the window, and the Irish international could be an ideal Kilman replacement.
Read more: Wolves’ confirmed signings and departures this summer.
Jaka Bijol
The final player on this list is Jaka Bijol. Playing for Udinese in Italy, the defender has grown to become a highly reliable player on the pitch.
Jaka Bijol once again helped his club stay in the Serie A last season before playing in the Euros for Slovenia.
Here, the 25-year-old impressed again. The nation only conceded two goals all tournament and kept clean sheets against both England and Portugal.
If Wolves wanted to bring in the defender this summer, they face competition from both Nottingham Forest and West Ham who both remain keen.