Wolves fans are hoping for a productive summer so that Gary O’Neil can take the team to the next level in 2024/25 – but some potentially bad news has emerged about reported target Alex Berenguer.
O’Neil is preparing for his first full summer window as manager, and the hope is that Wolves can get a number of new faces through the door.
Wanderers have had a small squad this season, and injuries have ended up really hampering the team.
With a couple more player sales this summer, Wolves will be in a decent position to spend on new players – but the club will, of course, be on the lookout for potential bargains.
One man who falls into that category is Athletic Bilbao star Alex Berenguer, who was linked with Wolves back in March.
He’s out of contract this summer, but a claim from one report could be bad news for Wolves…
Alex Berenguer has made progress in new contract talks with Athletic Bilbao, casting doubt on free Wolves swoop
Alex Berenguer is a player thought to be on Wolves’ radar ahead of the summer. He also has interest from Crystal Palace and Brentford.
Wolves are seemingly encouraged by the idea of him becoming a free agent this summer.
But it has been reported by Deia that Athletic Bilbao are now optimistic about him signing an extension. The attacking midfielder has previously rejected at least one proposal from the club.
Estadio Deportivo added on Monday that Berenguer has been ‘tempted by many clubs’ although ‘in the last few hours he has made a lot of progress towards his continuity’.
Berenguer signed for Bilbao in October 2020, joining from Italian club Torino. He has since clocked up 165 appearances, scoring 27 goals and making 19 assists.
Wolves seem unlikely to sign Berenguer
As things currently stand, Wolves moving for Berenguer seems unlikely. It is a similar situation with Justin Njinmah, with Werder Bremen hoping to extend his contract.
The 28-year-old – who cost Bilbao around £10 million – has a number of clubs interested in him at the moment because of the fact he stands to become a free agent.
But Deia say ‘What at the beginning of the talks between the two parties seemed to be a dark gray has now turned white and it is possible that its renewal will be announced in the not too distant future’, and that does suggest he is set to continue with his current club.
Berenguer has played on both wings this season and contributed seven goals and three assists. There is evidently some end product there, but missing out on him would probably not really be a blow for Wolves.
Certainly, Gary O’Neil is in need of some more wide options. But Wolves should have more freedom in the market this summer, and there are bound to be some good alternatives to Berenguer.