According to a recent report by Fotomac (translated by Sports Witness), Wolverhampton Wanderers are interested in bringing Besiktas centre-back Domagoj Vida to the West Midlands club at the end of this campaign. However, the same source has revealed that Wolves will face stiff competition from the likes of Fulham, AS Roma, Sevilla and Espanyol in pursuit of the Turkish Superlig defender, who is being priced around €20m, in this offseason.
Fotomac has also claimed that West Ham and Fulham scouts were present to catch the Croatia international in action for Besiktas in their 2-0 defeat away at Galatasaray on Sunday. The 30-year-old rose to prominence due to his stellar displays for Croatia in the 2018 FIFA World Cup held in Russia last year.
Vida’s Remarkable 2018 FIFA World Cup Campaign
Vida put in some commanding displays at the back alongside Liverpool’s Dejan Lovren during the tournament which helped the European nation qualify for the latter stages. However, Croatia eventually ended up falling at the final hurdle as they bowed out as the runners-up following a 4-2 defeat versus France in the World Cup final.
The Croat’s Struggles At The Club Level
Since then, Vida has struggled to keep up the same level of performance at the club level as he has been mediocre at best for Besiktas this season. The 30-year-old has featured in 35 matches for the Turkish giants this term and has three goals and one assist to his name, More importantly, Vida has made an average of 1.1 tackles, 2.0 interceptions and 3.9 clearances per game in the Turkish SuperLig so far (Stats taken from Whoscored).
However, his defensive contributions have not been good enough as Besiktas have conceded 41 goals in 31 league matches which have hampered their title hopes for this campaign.
What Will Vida Bring To The Molineaux Stadium?
Vida is an old-fashioned centre-half who prefers to clear his lines when under pressure by the opposing attackers. He can also make some important interceptions for his side but lacks the composure required to distribute the ball accurately from the back.
The Croatia international won’t fit Nuno Espirito Santo’s style of football at the Molineaux Stadium as he is not a good ball-playing defender. However, if the West Midlands outfit are planning to use him as a player to boost their squad depth then it makes a lot of sense as the Croat can be a useful asset in the dressing room due to his vast experience in European football.
Should Wolves Sign Him?
All in all, Wolves should only consider recruiting him if they are looking to increase competition for places within Nuno Santo’s team. However, Vida doesn’t fit Wolves’ brand of football so they might be better of going for centre-backs who will be able to play the ball out from the back.
