Wolves enjoyed a boisterous campaign in the top tier of English football despite earning promotion just last year. They finished seventh in the Premier League standings and grabbed a place in Europe for the upcoming term. Nuno Espirito Santo roped in a host of astounding signings over the past few windows and is expected to tie down a few more within the next couple of months time.
The Wanderers, meanwhile, have been monitoring the status of Yoann Barbet alongside Norwich City and Leeds United (according to L’Equipe) but are facing further competition from Turkish giants Besiktas as confirmed by Asistanaliz.
The 26-year-old Frenchman spent the past four campaigns with Brentford in the Championship. But his contract is set to expire this month, and the failure to agree to a new one ensures his availability on a Bosman transfer.
“We talk with the club but we don’t know yet. We’ve been talking but there is nothing at the moment. So we will see in the next few weeks.”
Stated Barbet back in March. Yet no agreement has taken place ever since and the Bees, therefore, are destined to lose their towering defensive ace within the upcoming weeks.
The former Les Bleus U18 international progressed through the youth ranks of Bordeaux before plying his trade in Ligue 2 with Chamois Niortais. An impressive spell earned him a transfer to England in the summer of 2015, and the player is now backed to experience top-flight football for the first time in his career.
Barbet has made more than 100 appearances for Brentford and is known for his versatility across the backline. The left-footed centre-half is also useful as a left-back, and his calmness over the ball along with the ability to play it out from the back should see him succeed in Wolves’ set-up. He is known for his positioning, holding and passing attributes while his vision and concentration add more balance to his game, mainly while operating in a central defensive role.
The West Midlands outfit had a pretty stable and resilient ‘back three’ consisting of skipper Conor Coady, Willy Bolly and Ryan Bennett. The trio, although tipped to retain their starting roles, would require more depth defensively to keep all the options fit and functioning throughout the season especially with European football also on the horizon.
Nuno, nevertheless, must step up the chase for Barbet to fend off interest from Turkey and welcome him at Molineux ahead of the other potential suitors.
