Wolves have officially signed Nathan Collins from Burnley.
Wanderers were in advanced talks with Burnley last night and this morning, reports surfaced that the player was to having his medical today.
The deal is now done, with the club providing official confirmation.
Collins is reported to be costing the club £20.5 million.
That’s a sizeable fee, but one that could potential end up looking very cheap given his potential.
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Collins does not have a great deal of Premier League experience just yet. But he caught the eye on several occasions last term.
It’s an exciting signing from Wanderers, and it could be the start of a very exciting partnership within the starting XI.
Last season, Wolves fans watched as Maximilian Kilman emerged from the fringes at Molineux.
The star enjoyed a true breakthrough under Bruno Lage, having shown signs of promise under Nuno Espirito Santo in 2020/21.
Arguably, he is the best central defender Wolves have, and he will likely be a regular starter.
With there being reports Lage wants to use a back four more often in 2022/23, that will sometimes leave just one other place.
It could be that Collins and Kilman eventually become the go-to pairing at Molineux.
And that is sometime worth getting excited about.
In an insightful interview with the Express & Star, Chris Boden of the Burnley Express said of Collins: “His composure on the ball for his age is remarkable, he drives forward with purpose – capable of creating chances with through balls or going on to score himself as with Ireland against Ukraine.
“He needed great concentration in a Burnley defence that was put under pressure, and he was generally unruffled. And his dominance in the air in both boxes is a major plus.”
Driving forwards is something we saw regularly from Kilman last season.
It is a trait that not too many centre-backs have. And the fact Wolves now have two ball-carriers is very interesting.
Collins and Kilman partnership can help Wolves become more progressive
Collins and Kilman could make for a very refreshing duo for Wolves.
Both of them have that knack for carrying the ball out of defence, which is something that can sometimes catch the opposition off guard.
It would be really good to see both of them looking to break the lines often and helping build attacks.
Wolves struggled at times last term, so perhaps overloading is the way to go.
But Lage would obviously need to ensure that a plan is place for when one of them surges forward, as there is an element of risk with a potential counter-attack.