Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in Fenerbahce defender Attila Szalai, as Julen Lopetegui aims to bolster his defence this summer.
The Midlands club have focused their transfer window so far on offloading players for profit, and having made almost £80m in sales, the Old Gold could be nearing the point of prioritising incomings.
With Nathan Collins sold and Max Kilman linked with a move away from Molineux, the links to Szalai have come at an encouraging time.
Could Wolves sign Attila Szalai?
As reported by Turkish outlet As Marca, Wolves have submitted ‘official offers’ to sign Super Lig duo Victor Nelsson and Fenerbahce’s Szalai.
The Hungarian is contracted to the Turkish side until 2025, with the Midlands club reportedly having bid a £12.5m opening offer for his services.
Lopetegui could land a financially smart deal in signing the 25-year-old, who could be a strong asset to Molineux in light of recent sales.
How good is Attila Szalai?
Kilman’s journey at Molineux could be nearing an end, after making a name for himself in the Midlands after signing from Maidenhead United back in 2018.
Wolves reportedly rejected an offer from Serie A winners Napoli for the Englishman, however the pursuit of the defender’s services have not ended with Tottenham also eyeing the Londoner.
After selling Collins to Brentford, Lopetegui could be left short in the central defence department, leaving him with little option but to recruit defenders this summer.
Hailed as an “elite talent” by members of the media, Szalai could be the perfect target for the Spaniard to chase this window, after impressing in Turkey last season.
The 25-year-old made 32 league appearances for Fenerbahce, contributing to ten clean sheets in the club’s second-place finish campaign, cementing himself as a key figure in defence.
Winning 62% of his total duels, with an average of 3.4 won per game, via Sofascore, the 6 foot 3 centre-back could be the perfect figure to succeed Kilman should he opt to depart this summer.
As per FBref, the Hungarian boasts better per 90 averages than the Englishman over the past year, flexing an innate skill set in defensive areas.
Szalai averaged 1.63 tackles and 1.25 interceptions per 90 over the past year, in comparison to Kilman’s recorded averages of 0.98 tackles and 0.52 interceptions in that time frame for Wolves.
The 25-year-old also came out on top over Kilman in terms of his distribution, averaging a pass completion rate of 85.0% per 90, as well as attempting 64.88 passes, suggesting this confidence on the ball.
Wolves’ ace averaged an 83.0% pass completion rate, attempting 57.34 passes per 90 as well as registering an average of 3.46 progressive passes per 90 to the 25-year-old’s 4.50 per 90.
Having a higher rate of progressive passes is a plus for Lopetegui, who could add a competent outlet in defence to spark movements in midfield and beyond, with fellow centre-back Craig Dawson averaging just 2.61 progressive passes per 90.
The Spaniard could uncover a hidden gem in Szalai, who at 25 could become an important figure at Molineux having displayed strengths in the fundamentals in Europe last season.
