Wolves had a busy January, with six new faces coming through the door – and Pablo Sarabia might just be the club’s best bit of business last month.
Wanderers’ squad is now looking much healthier after Fosun backed Julen Lopetegui heavily in his first transfer window as Wolves boss.
The Spaniard spoke about the need for good recruitment when he first came in.
And officials have delivered. Lopetegui has the players he wanted, and it’s now on him to bring them all up to speed and get some good results.
It was a really good window for Wolves and it’s going to be very interesting to see which player will fare the best.
And it would be no surprise if Sarabia – Wolves’ third January addition – is being spoken about as the best of the bunch come the end of the season.
Quite simply, the biggest issue for Wolves this season has been the scoring of goals.
A return of 12 goals in 20 Premier League games is, frankly, abysmal. Especially considering the players Wolves have.
Sarabia arrives at Molineux in the prime of his career.
He’s been at big clubs like Paris Saint-Germain, Sporting CP, Sevilla and Real Madrid. He’s also got 26 caps for Spain.
The star, 30, has a proven track record when it comes to scoring goals and making assists.
With Sporting last season he scored 21 and made 10 assists in 45 matches.
At Sevilla, where he arguably really made his name, he scored 43 and assisted 38 in 151 outings.
These are some seriously impressive numbers, from a player pretty much capable of operating in any attacking position besides central striker.
Pablo Sarabia could easily be Wolves’ best January signing because he addresses the biggest issue
Craig Dawson has the potential to be the best addition for Wolves. Ditto Matheus Cunha.
But Sarabia’s record speaks for itself. This is a man that makes things happen on a football pitch. And too often this season, Wolves’ attackers have found wanting.
He’s going to be playing a lot. He could especially nail down that right side, because Lopetegui has mostly liked using Adama Traore from the bench since he came in.
But that versatility means Sarabia can slot in anywhere really. So the more involved he is, the more likely it is he’ll be contributing those goals and assists.
Another reason we could be talking about Sarabia as Wolves’ best January signing come the end of the season is the fee Wolves have paid to sign him.
Reportedly, Wanderers were set back just £4.4 million to sign the silky Spaniard. That’s a steal for a gifted technician like Sarabia, and a deal that perhaps mirrors the Joao Moutinho one back in 2018.
Sarabia wanted this move and to work with Lopetegui again. He turned down other lucrative offers to come, and you just get the sense he’s going to really thrive.