Wolverhampton Wanderers, who are on a high, are interested in signing Russian striker Fedor Smolov from FK Krasnodar. The 28-year-old striker has been influential for his country and is expected to lead the line for them in the upcoming World Cup.
He has been around for quite some time and has a wealth of experience playing in the Russian league. According to reports, his current club is valuing him at £12m. Such a price could have been too much for Wolves even a couple of years back but not in today’s day and age as they are willing to break the bank to get their targets.
The West Midlands club has been head and shoulders above everyone in the Championship and has won the qualification and the title quite comfortably in the end.
Wolves have been smart in the transfer market as well as they got 5-6 players on loan who have been instrumental for them. They broke their transfer record by bringing in the influential Portuguese midfielder Ruben Neves, who has been one of the best players in the division. Backed by new owners, one cannot rule out the possibility of Smolov coming to England.
Wolves are not the only one who are after his signature as their rivals Fulham are also keen on having him. If the Cottagers don’t manage to sign Aleksandr Mitrovic on a permanent basis, one could expect them going hard for Smolov.
However, with Premier League qualifications already in the bag, Wolves will be favourites to sign him. The Championship winners have good options upfront in Benik Afobe, Helder Costa and Diogo Jota. Smolov is predominantly a centre-forward but can fill in the role of left and right wing as well.
He is having a decent season for his club as he has managed 14 goals and 5 assists in 23 games this season. The problem for Smolov could be adapting to the high tempo of the English game as we often see players from different leagues struggle to get going in England. However, Smolov is an experienced customer so one would expect him to settle down much quicker.
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Nuno Espirito Santo knows that Premier League won’t be a cakewalk and he will need improvements in his current squad to continue playing in the top tier for years. The ambition of the club is certainly high and they can go in for a striker like Smolov to bring more strength to the squad and add more competitions for places.
