Since taking over in the summer, Gary O'Neil has massively improved Wolverhampton Wanderers.This is shown by their 11th position in the Premier League and the fact they’re three victories off their total wins last season (11).
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Despite winning the last three matches, the boss wants to bolster his attacking options in January by signing a new striker.
Wolves transfers latest – Hugo Eiktike
According to French outlet RMC Sport, Wolves are one of a handful of clubs that are interested in signing Hugo Ekitike, who has been described as a “huge talent” by Football Talent Scout Jacek Kulig.
The striker signed for PSG for £30m this summer, but there is the potential that a loan with an option-to-buy deal could be arranged in January. It's claimed that Wolves are 'ready' to welcome the player this month.A move to Wolves is likely, with the 21-year-old desperate for minutes and the English club having a positive relationship with the Parisians.
How Ekitike compares to Matheus Cunha
Since moving to Wolves permanently in the summer for £44m, Matheus Cunha has been instrumental in the way O’Neil’s side plays. The Brazilian has featured just off the striker this season, starting all 20 matches, scoring six goals, and registering five assists.
On the other hand, Ekitike played a good chunk in his first season at PSG, but this season he has only played nine minutes in total. This came on the opening weekend of Ligue 1, when PSG drew 0-0 with Lorient in August.Despite his extremely limited game time, according to FBref’s similar player model, Cunha is the most similar player to Ekitike. Therefore, let’s look at the duo's statistics from the last year across the top European leagues.
Goals
0.27
0.11
Assists
0.17
0.22
Progressive carries
2.94
1.35
Passes completed
20.27
19.30
Tackles (Mid third)
0.65
0.90
Interceptions
0.72
0.56
As you can see, Ekitike is a hard-working centre forward who will track back to help his side out and give 100% in each game. The interceptions and tackles in the middle-third of the pitch prove that, and those attributes are also what separate Cunha from other forwards in the Premier League.The duo may not be the most prolific forwards, but they are always a handful due to their movement, ability to link play and carry the ball forward. Cunha excels at the latter in the Wolves side due to O'Neil's team opting for a counterattack-heavy approach, which would suit the 21-year-old Frenchman perfectly.
The two strikers also like to get involved in play and will show for the ball constantly, regardless of whether they are being closed down or not, which shows they can be effective in any game state. They are also creative forwards who can make things happen out of nothing and provide opportunities for teammates, as shown by their assist record.If Wolves were to sign Ekitike, he could certainly emulate Cunha's statistics based on how similar their statistics and attributes are. That said, the PSG attacker is more of a true number nine, whereas the Wolves star thrives as a second striker. With Hwang Hee-chan potentially on the move, signing Ekitike could be a risk worth taking.