Nuno is still looking for Wolves striking solution
The season may only be two and a bit weeks old but it’s already been remarkable in a few aspects.
First, four successive wins in all competitions gave Nuno Espirito Santo the best start for any Wolves manager since Ronnie Allen in 1965.
The Middlesbrough home game on the opening day was witnessed by the fourth biggest Molineux attendance since the stadium was rebuilt in 1993 – and the biggest first-day home crowd since 1975, writes Tim Spiers.
But perhaps most startlingly of all...four of Wolves’ eight goals have been scored by strikers.
Yes, the notion of strikers regularly finding the back of the net has been an alien one since Benik Afobe was sold in January 2016.
In the barren 18 months that have followed some of the goalscoring records have been nothing short of pitiful. After Afobe’s departure Adam Le Fondre and Bjorn Sigurdarson both failed to find the net for the remainder of that season. And then in 2017/18 the team’s two main striker protagonists, Nouha Dicko and Jon Dadi Bodvarsson, mustered just six goals between them from a combined total 80 – yes, 80 – appearances.
So for Dicko and Leo Bonatini to score two apiece already feels like a minor miracle. Yet it’s common knowledge that Wolves are hoping to sign at least one more striker before the transfer window slams shut on August 31.
Despite the impressive goalscoring start by Dicko and Bonatini, you can see why.
Dicko can use his pace off the last man – but does he have the touch and technique to play the ‘link’ striker that Nuno wants? Bonatini can certainly do that. He’s looked good with his back to goal, can hold it up and bring in his team-mates. But facing the other way the jury is still out.
Again, you don’t get the impression Nuno is convinced he currently has a high-quality all-round striker who can score 20 goals this season. Hence why a long list of names have been linked with Wolves including Sam Gallagher, Jordan Rhodes, Idrissa Sylla and Nelson Oliveira.
Another they’ve looked at is Nathael Julan, a 21-year-old who plays for Le Havre in the French second tier. He came close to joining last summer and has started the season on fire with five goals in four games. But, while clearly an exciting youngster with big potential, Julan isn’t the head-turning addition Wolves are yearning to make.
With their domestic search proving fruitless so far it may be up to Jorge Mendes to pull a rabbit out of the hat, as he did when bringing in Ruben Neves for £15million.
Wolves would prefer not to spend that level of money, given the huge outlay of the past 12 months, but if promotion is to happen this season they simply must have a prolific goalscorer in their team.
