Wolves are plotting a move for Sevilla attacker Lucas Ocampos ahead of the summer transfer window.
Image source: transfermarkt.com
Lucas Ocampos, 26, joined Sevilla from Marseille for £13million in 2019 and has since been a consistent performer in La Liga. The Argentinean enjoyed a solid debut campaign with Sevilla, scoring 17 goals in 44 appearances across all competitions. Oddly, he scored the goal to eliminate Wolves out of the Europa League last August, as Sevilla eventually went onto win the competition under Julen Lopetegui.
The 26-year-old has scored seven goals and registered four assists in all competitions so far this term, with the winger’s impressive performances catching the eye of Wolves. Ocampos has a £62m release clause in his contract which runs until the summer of 2024.
Meanwhile, Wolves went into the international break with a 1-0 home loss to Liverpool that left them struggling 13th in the Premier League table. Nuno Espirito Santo’s side haven’t got going at all since the start of the season, failing to replicate the 2019/20 campaign’s performances.
Wolves’ lack of cutting edge in the final third
The Wanderers lost Diogo Jota to Premier League rivals Liverpool last summer and the forward has been dearly missed at Molineux this season. Jota had forged a strong partnership with Raul Jimenez up front, with the duo scoring plenty of goals over the last couple of seasons for Nuno’s side.
Nuno’s Wolves suffered a big blow in November when Raul Jimenez fractured his skull against Arsenal. That left the Mexican international sidelined for the hectic period, and he’s still recovering after undergoing surgery. Wolves’ defeats to Crystal Palace, West Brom, Everton, Manchester United, Burnley, Aston Villa and Liverpool during that busy period shows how much they’ve missed their prolific goalscorer since the nasty accident.
The lack of cutting edge in Wolves’ play has been apparent for large spells of the campaign. Adama Traore, such a key player to Nuno’s counter-attacking football, hasn’t been at his sublime best and is yet to score a league goal this season, while Daniel Podence has been restricted to just 18 league outings due to injury problems. Pedro Neto has been the rare bright spark for the Black Country outfit, registering five goals and four assists.
Wolves broke their transfer record to sign Fabio Silva from FC Porto for £35.6m but the teenager is yet to fully adapt to the demands of English football. Willian Jose, signed on loan from Real Sociedad in January, hasn’t exactly hit the ground running and is yet to find the net for the Midlands outfit.
If the Wanderers are to challenge for a spot in Europe next season, Nuno must address his team’s creativity and goalscoring problems in the summer.
Lucas Ocampos would be a good fit at Molineux
Lucas Ocampos is a summer target for Wolves, and it is easy to imagine why Nuno and co. are looking to reinforce their attack for next term. A left-winger by trade, Ocampos can also play on the right and possesses the energy and intensity to do his share of defensive duties for the team. The seven-cap Argentina international could be Wolves’ creative head from wide areas as he has shown his knack for chipping in with goals and assists at Sevilla.
The former AS Monaco man could also provide Nuno’s side with some much-needed quality and depth in attack. At 26, Ocampos is entering the prime years of his career and having proven himself in La Liga, Wolves must make his signing a priority this summer.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
