For a long time now, there has been talk about how Wolves need a new striker – but there might be another position that Gary O’Neil really needs to address this summer.
The manager had wanted to bring in a new centre-forward last month, but ultimately Wolves’ financial position just made things too difficult.
A late play was made for Armando Broja, but Fulham’s willingness to pay Chelsea a £4 million loan fee priced Wanderers out of a move.
So O’Neil did not land his new number nine, and the search will be renewed in the summer.
But there is another position that O’Neil may need to look at strengthening…
Gary O’Neil may need to consider signing a new goalkeeper for Wolves this summer
As much as O’Neil has wanted a new number nine, Wolves have actually not had too many issues scoring goals this season.
That said, it should still be a priority this summer, as a new number nine coming in would help Matheus Cunha to play more of a free role.
This season though, there has been a spotlight on the goalkeeper – and that spotlight is starting to get harsher.
Jose Sa was sensational in his first season, after signing for the club for just under £7 million from Olympiacos.
In his second campaign, his standard dropped quite a bit.
He’s now in his third season at Molineux and it has been a pretty mixed bag for Sa.
We have seen him make some fantastic saves, such as the one against Everton to deny Abdoulaye Doucoure back in August.
But there have also been errors, like against Luton Town and Liverpool when his clearances were too rushed and they led to goals.
Sa’s save percentage this season in the Premier League is 65%, which is only down from 66% last season. His percentage in his first season was 75% (via Fotmob).
His shot-stopping ability has always been his biggest strength. But other areas of his game are questionable.
His command of his area is not quite as good these days as it used to be – he did not cover himself in any glory for Brentford’s opening goal on Saturday.
And the thing Sa arguably struggles with the most is his ball-playing. The 31-year-old plays some very risky passes sometimes, which put his teammates under needless pressure.
In September, Sa signed a new contract with Wolves, keeping him at the club for another four years, with there being an option for another 12 months. This could indicate Wolves want him to stay long-term, or it may have been a move simply to protect his market value.
If it was the latter, then Wolves should consider hearing offers for Sa in the summer. Nottingham Forest have previously been linked, and there has also been interest from Saudi Arabia.
Ultimately Sa is a decent goalkeeper who is very capable of earning points for Wolves. But this does balance out with the mistakes he makes. Perhaps it’s time for Wolves to look at a ‘keeper who is a little less rash, better with his feet and just generally more consistent, with O’Neil obviously wanting his side to be good at playing out from the back.