Wolves have reportedly discussed a move for a Croatia international as a possible replacement for Max Kilman.
Kilman was sold to West Ham United last week for a fee of £40 million, which was £5 million less than the original asking price. That said, it was still a great sale, with Kilman costing just £40,000 six years ago.
The search will now be on for a replacement.
David Carmo is a target for the club, after a good loan spell with Olympiacos last term. There has also been a claim that Nico Elvedi of Borussia Monchengladbach could be of interest again, after Wolves looked at him last summer.
Time is on Wolves’ side though, and sporting director Matt Hobbs and his team will be sure to assess all their targets very carefully.
Today, a new name has been offered as a potential signing for Wolves – Croatian defender Josip Sutalo.
Josip Sutalo on Wolves’ transfer list after Max Kilman sale to West Ham
It has been reported today by Give Me Sport that Josip Sutalo is a name that has been discussed at Wolves.
While Gary O’Neil likes Yerson Mosquera and is likely to keep him in the first-team for next season, it is felt that a new face is needed after Kilman was sold. Ultimately, the Colombian has still not yet played in the Premier League.
The jury is also still out on Santi Bueno, and Craig Dawson is not getting any younger, as good as he still is.
Sutalo – a Croatia international who played all three group-stage games at Euro 2024 – plays his club football for Ajax, whom he joined last summer from Dinamo Zagreb. He made 32 appearances in his first season with the club.
He and Carmo are on Wolves’ radar, but the club have yet to lodge any official bids.
It is stated that Sutalo – who was actually born in Bosnia – could be available for around £12.6 million this summer, having not settled at the Dutch giants.
Sutalo not so dissimilar to Kilman
So Wolves could potentially swoop for Sutalo this summer, and he would seemingly make a decent replacement for Kilman. He certainly shares some similarities to the former Molineux skipper.
As per Breaking The Lines, the 24-year-old is ‘composed in possession’, and ‘capable of picking out pinpoint passes’. He is also ‘adept at ball-carrying’, which is something we did see from Kilman at times, and ‘his anticipation and high footballing IQ enable him to make key interceptions’.
Sutalo’s pass completion rate of 92.1% over the last 365 days places him in the 98th percentile, which is extremely impressive.
This is a player who rarely gives the ball away, and O’Neil has obviously just lost someone who was very good on the ball.