Cover your ears Wolves fans, Liverpool’s best player this season could have ended up at Molineux

Wolves’ recruitment has left plenty to be desired in recent seasons, but their approach for a now-Liverpool star would have made up for a lot.

The direction of travel for stars at Molineux has been one-way in recent seasons.

Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri were the latest elite players to leave the club, while none of those brought in are any way close to that conversation.

But in January 2024, Wolves made an approach for a player who has since become one of the best in his position in the Premier League.

Wolves approached PSG for Hugo Ekitike in 2024

No, your eyes are not deceiving you.

In what was a quality bit of scouting, Wolves identified the then-21-year-old PSG benchwarmer Hugo Ekitike as a potential addition to press on from 11th and finish the 2023/24 season strong.

Gary O’Neil saw Ekitike as a top target. Their interest was not merely theoretical, as they entered discussions with the French giants.

As L’Equipe reported at the time: “Wolfsburg has been exploring the possibility of bringing in the striker on a paid loan without an option to buy.

“According to internal sources, the German club will have to contend with competition from Wolverhampton, currently eleventh in the Premier League. The English club has approached Paris Saint-Germain to discuss a loan with an option to buy.”

At that time, Hwang Hee-chan was off at the Asian Cup, and Ekitike was willing to slash his wages for more minutes. And what a reinforcement he would have been. Since arriving at Anfield, Ekitike has been nothing short of outstanding.

In the end, Frankfurt would win the race for the Frenchman, keeping hold of him for a 18 months before tripling their investment this past summer.

Wolves need to show that same ambition this January

That was two years ago, and Ekitike’s wish to leave PSG was with the Euros in mind.

This year, it’s the World Cup that’s fast approaching, and every player will be considering their current situation and how it will affect their chances of travelling across the pond in June.

• READ MORE: Every Wolves player who has won the World Cup

There are going to be opportunities in the market for out-of-favour stars looking for minutes. Wolves may not be the most attractive proposition from next season — depending on how well Rob Edwards does in the job — but a six-month loan could make sense for a lot of talented players.

Ekitike may not have worked out, but this January could offer a similar opportunity.