Wolves have been linked with a move for Borussia Dortmund star Raphael Guerreiro – and he might make for a big upgrade on Jonny Castro Otto.
The Portugal international is out of contract in the summer, and it seems he could be moving on from the Bundesliga outfit.
Guerreiro supposedly has interest from a number of clubs. 90min have said Newcastle United, Aston Villa and Leeds United are all said to be circling.
Wolves are in there too, and quite possibly this is a really good opportunity for the club.
Guerreiro is a player that hasn’t always got a huge amount of acknowledgement.
But his numbers are very impressive. In 214 games for Dortmund he has scored 38 goals and made 45 assists.
Given he has mostly played as a full-back during his time at the club, that is some going.
A feature from the official Bundesliga website really talks up Guerreiro’s on the ball quality. It reads that ‘he has remarkable technical ability, but it is his tactical flexibility that may in fact be his biggest strength.”
This tactical flexibility allows him to play other positions, like left wing and central midfield.
His former manager Thomas Tuchel said of him previously: “Rapha is far too good to be fixed in one position.”
Given his capability of playing at full-back or as a winger, he feels like a fantastic fit for Wolves.
We have seen, in recent weeks, Julen Lopetegui revert back to a system with wing-backs.
Potentially, Guerreiro could be absolutely perfect to play in such a position.
It will be interesting to see if Wolves do make a move for the 29-year-old. It feels like the club definitely should since he’ll be a free agent.
Raphael Guerreiro could be a big upgrade on Jonny Castro Otto for Wolves
While Wolves have two very good options to play on the left side in Hugo Bueno and Rayan Ait-Nouri, it’s possible the club may need to sell Jonny Castro Otto this summer.
The Spaniard has struggled this season and doesn’t look the same player as when he first arrived for £15 million.
Perhaps that was going to be inevitable following two serious knee injuries. But strangely Jonny did rally after coming back from his second ACL injury.
But this term his form has been a real concern. And Wolves may look to consider offers.
It would be sad to see him go. But if it meant Guerreiro coming in as his replacement then that’s something that should probably be done.
Guerreiro is experienced, versatile and a threat. He also has the nickname ‘The Battery’ for how energetic he is. To sign someone like him on a free transfer is a no-brainer.