Wolves have already signed Emmanuel Agbadou but remain determined to bring in another centre-back before the close of the January transfer window.
The club’s owners granted Vitor Pereira his wish of signing a new centre-back after a string of injuries has left Wolves desperately short of defensive options.
Wolves confirmed Agbadou has joined on a four-and-a-half year deal from Stade Reims earlier this week.
The 27-year-old made his Wolves debut against Bristol City in the FA Cup Third Round on Saturday afternoon. A game the Old Gold came through unscathed after securing a 2-1 victory following goals from Rayan Ait-Nouri and Rodrigo Gomes.
Agbadou may not be the only centre-back Pereira looks to sign this month though.
Wolves targeting Eintracht Frankfurt’s Arthur Theate
Revealing he likes his centre-backs to be technically proficient, Pereira’s comments on Agbadou’s style of play offer tactical insight into how the Portuguese boss wants his Wolves first-team to perform.
And in search of a player who possesses the attributes of a classy modern day centre-back, according to L’Equipe, Pereira has turned his attention to Eintracht Frankfurt’s Arthur Theate.
Wolves reaching an agreement with the Bundesliga side will not be easy though. Theate only joined the Die Adler from Stade Rennes last summer.
The Belgium international’s move is a loan but it includes a mandatory option to buy.
The Old Gold obviously feel there is a chance Frankfurt will want to be relieved of their upcoming financial obligation. Theate is having a solid campaign though so fans should expect Dino Toppmoller to dig his heels in.
Theate boasts impressive passing stat
Pereira has already confirmed his Wolves defenders need to be comfortable on the ball.
“I want to play with three defenders, not three centre-backs. They are different,” he said.
“One thing is one thing and one is another thing, because I want my defenders to have the freedom to attack the lines, to attract the opposing players and to open space for other players.”
And this style of play is exactly what Theate possesses. The former Stade Rennes player is one of Europe’s best passing defenders when inside his own half.
| Arthur Theate Passing in Bundesliga | Stat |
| Key passes per game | 0.4 |
| Passing accuracy in own half | 91% |
| Passing accuracy in opposition half | 73% |
| Balls recovered per game | 4.5 |
Clearly a defender who knows how to use the ball when its at his feet, Theate’s importance at the heart of Frankfurt’s defence is apparent. And having started 14 out of 15 Bundesliga games, has so far been key to the Die Adler’s third place position.
Therefore, while a successful transfer to Molineux remains unlikely this month, Wolves will almost certainly instruct their scouts to continue keeping tabs on the talented 24-year-old.