Wolverhampton Wanderers endured a turbulent summer transfer window, losing some key players such as Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore, while head coach Julen Lopetegui resigned in protest a few days before the season commenced to voice his displeasure at the club’s transfer business.
Gary O’Neil succeeded the former Real Madrid manager in the Molineux dugout and faced an uphill battle from the get-go. However, the ex-Bournemouth boss has guided Wolves to 12th in the Premier League thus far, one place above last season’s finish.
Now, the manager is looking to bolster his attacking department ahead of the second half of the campaign and has eyed up one of Europe’s most efficient goalscorers.
Wolves transfer news
According to FCInter News, Wolves have identified Iranian centre-forward Mehdi Taremi as the perfect number ‘9’ to sign ahead of the January transfer window to improve the forward line and are prepared to make a significant offer to Porto. The outlet have also reported that the Midlands club face competition from Italian giants and Champions League finalists Inter Milan.
Taremi has been a prolific goalscorer in Portugal for a number of years and managed to hit 31 goals last season in 51 appearances in all competitions, including 22 in the Primeira Liga, claiming the league’s Golden Boot award for the second time in his career. Nevertheless, the Iran international also recorded 14 assists for the Portuguese giants despite missing out on the title by two points.
In 2022, Taremi finished as the fourth-best goalscorer in Europe, finishing above the likes of Lionel Messi, Harry Kane and Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema. Manchester United legend and TV pundit Rio Ferdinand was in awe of the 31-year-old, calling him “ridiculous” for his form in front of goal.
Mehdi Taremi’s stats this season
The experienced frontman hasn’t been as potent up top this season as in recent years but has still managed to bag three goals for Porto, including one goal and two assists in the Champions League as the side sit second in Group H and are pushing for qualification to the next round.
It has been reported that Porto slapped a £17m price tag on Taremi’s back which could be a good price for Wolves ahead of the transfer window, particularly since the Iranian is outperforming Hwang Hee-chan in a number of key attacking metrics this season.
|
Taremi vs Hwang |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Per 90 Metrics |
Mehdi Taremi |
Hwang Hee-chan |
|
Goals |
0.23 |
0.74 |
|
Expected Goals |
0.37 |
0.31 |
|
Assists |
0.23 |
0.21 |
|
Expected Assists |
0.19 |
0.21 |
|
Shots |
1.71 |
2.02 |
|
Shots On Target |
0.85 |
0.74 |
|
Shots Per Goal |
0.09 |
0.35 |
|
Stats via FBref |
||
Hwang is outscoring Taremi this term but the latter has still bagged 34 goals since the beginning of the previous campaign, showcasing his efficiency inside the penalty area. O’Neil could potentially have found the perfect partner in his front three for winger Pedro Neto.
The Portuguese attacker is the top assister in the Premier League this season with seven assists, while he is also averaging 0.71 assists per 90, as well as 2.55 key passes per 90 and 2.04 passes into the penalty area per 90, as per FBref, proving his incredible knack for creating chances for teammates.
Taremi could thrive in English football by being fed such high-quality chances each game and would instantly improve Wolves’ attacking threat as O’Neil looks to ensure that his side aren’t dragged down into an unforgiving relegation battle.
