The nearer we get to the New Year and the January transfer window reopening, it’s very much becoming the case that Wolverhampton Wanderers are being linked with at least one player per day that I’ve flat out never heard of.
I cover the ones I feel able to make a comment about after some research, and believe me I ignore far more, but the responses on social media to the suggestion we are looking at Senegal international and AS Monaco (on-loan at Inter Milan) winger Keita Balde Diao stood out for three reasons.
A – as the title implies, how many wingers can we accommodate in a team of eleven.
B – ‘Balde’ just ticks a purile and childish humour box for me.
C – it’s another transfer link that I just can’t see where we’d benefit or have an interest.
TuttoMercatoWeb seemed to have kickstarted this one off and in fairness, he is the right sort of age at 23-years-old and despite struggling at Inter, to the point it’s claimed the loan will be cancelled in January, big things appear to be expected from the lad.
In relation to point C above, Serie A is a different type of competition to the Premier League but in 13 appearances he’s failed to score and only one assist to his name, so if he can’t step up and impress at a side with greater expectations, why would Wolves be looking at him?
Maybe that’s harsh, Lazio are not the club their history implies but he did score 31 times for them in 137 games before the Monaco move, so the lad has something about him.
But enough about him for a reported £4.5million loan fee with a suggested £26.7million permanent fee.
That’s probably why the reactions from fans and some of the humour caught my attention.
This lad is quality
— Adey & Paula (@PaulaAdey) November 21, 2018
Pace merchant with ability
— Alex Jones (@awj9870) November 21, 2018
He's basically Traore but better at finishing
— pork chops (@DTisafatcunt) November 21, 2018
Is someone at Wolves just sat on FM flicking through the Senegal national team? Every day we're linked with another one of their players! ????
— Tom (@laneystain) November 21, 2018
We're just a team full of wingers… ????
— Guardian of Moomin /\_/\ (@PhilVaughan10) November 21, 2018
I’m even seeing contradictory game stats about him so whilst I don’t doubt Wolves would know what he’s actually capable of if he’s that good why is he out on loan anyway?