The Athletic’s Wolverhampton Wanderers correspondent Tim Spiers has shed some light on what the Old Gold are plotting in January.
During the summer transfer window, Wolves recruited players right across the pitch with a goalkeeper, two right-backs, two left-backs, a centre-back, a central midfielder and a striker (per Transfermarkt).
However, following the serious injury to Mexican forward Raul Jimenez, that has highlighted a key area for Wolves to strengthen during the January transfer window.
With the 29-year-old forward sidelined, Nuno Espirito Santo only has summer signing Fabio Silva available as an out-and-out striker.
In the latest episode of The Athletic’s The Molineux View podcast, Spiers shed light on what Wolves are planning to do during the winter window.
He said: “They’ve got a long, long list of strikers and we know it won’t be easy, January’s a horrible time to buy. Everybody knows that Wolves need a striker.
“However, there are players out there who need minutes and they will get someone in, I’m convinced of that. That’s certainly the plan, anyway. It’s probably going to be their only addition of the month.
“They’re looking at all options, in terms of it could be a flat loan for the rest of the season, it could be a loan to buy, it could even be a permanent – nothing’s ruled out, although there’s not a huge budget at stake here.
“They’ve got a long list of strikers, they’re looking all over the world and not much is ruled out, really. It could be a young player, it could be a more experienced player, it could be a loan, it could be a permanent.
“That’s what they’re frantically working on now.”
TIF Thoughts on what Tim Spiers said about Wolves’ January transfer plans…
As can be seen in what the reporter had to say, it seems that the Old Gold are “frantically” looking for a stop-gap player to fill in while Jimenez is sidelined.
Do Wolves need to sign a striker in January?
No, it's not a necessity
Yes, we need one
With Silva being just 18 years old, it is difficult to judge him during his first season of Premier League football.
However, during his eight appearances in the top flight so far this term, the young forward has proven that Wolves may need to reinforce their attack in January.
Over his eight outings in the league, Silva has earned a weak 6.09/10 average rating, making him the second-worst performer for the Old Gold this season (per WhoScored).
So, it does seem that signing a striker is imperative for Nuno Santo and Wolves in January.