Wolverhampton Wanderers have given up on trying to convince Manchester City wing back Oleksandr Zinchenko to move to Molineux and have turned attentions to Bristol City’s Joe Bryan instead, according to journalist David Anderson.
The Mirror reporter claims on his personal Twitter account that after being heavily linked with a move for the Premier League champions’ 21-year-old left back over the summer, they have definitively ended their pursuit and that Bryan is the new name to fill a gap at the back.
Wolves have given up on trying to persuade Manchester City's Oleksandr Zinchenko to join them and are now targeting Bristol City left-back Joe Bryan. Bournemouth, West Ham, Newcastle and RB Leipzig also keen.
— David Anderson (@MirrorAnderson) July 24, 2018
The 24-year-old Championship defender made 48 appearances across all competitions last season, netting seven goals, and is heading into the final year of his contract with Bristol City.
Good move for Wolves?
Zinchenko is highly rated at City and it would have been a massive coup to prise him away from the top flight champions, but it appears as though the player himself is not convinced.
He certainly seemed a more exciting capture than Bryan might be, but at the same time, there is no point fretting over the 21-year-old if he is not open to moving to Molineux.
Bryan will be much more receptive to making the step up to the Premier League, and with just a year left on his deal, could be snapped up for a relative bargain.
He might be unproven, but with the names that are being touted in the hunt, he has obviously caught some eyes with his performances.
This is Futbol rating: 7.5/10
Likely to happen?
After the disappointment with Zinchenko, Wolves are likely to push the boat out to get whoever is next on their list, and if that is Bryan then so be it.
They are coming up against some big spenders but Nuno Esperito Santo has some hefty backing behind him, and if he wants the Bristol City man, he should get him.
This is Futbol rating: 7/10