Wolverhampton Wanderers have had a difficult season but certainly not a disastrous one, sitting seven points from the relegation zone. However, the biggest issue for Gary O'Neil's side has been the lack of consistency.
There is a lot of quality in Wolves' squad but there are some positions that may need to be improved upon in the near future if the Midlands club are to return to a position where they vie for one of the seven European spots in the Premier League.
O'Neil is reportedly eyeing up some defensive reinforcements to bolster his backline amidst what will likely be a difficult second half of the campaign.
Wolves transfer news – Victor Nelsson
According to Turkish outlet Aksam, Wolves are interested in signing Galatasaray centre-back Victor Nelsson in January. The report claims that the player is "very disturbed" with his current situation with the Super Lig champions and is looking for an exit route once the winter window opens in just a few weeks.
The Danish centre-back's deal with Galatasaray expires in 2026, but Aksam have further revealed that O'Neil's side are exploring the possibility of a loan with an option to buy, although the Turkish giants are not willing to allow the 23-year-old to leave for cheap.
Nelsson has made 18 appearances for Galatasaray this term, including four in the UEFA Champions League as the team looked primed for qualification to the next round.
However, the defender has played merely 1,123 minutes, starting just seven times from 18 games in the Champions League group phase and the Super Lig, as per Transfermarkt.
Victor Nelsson's stats this season
Nelsson came from Nordsjaelland's esteemed academy in Denmark before moving to Copenhagen in 2019. It was with the latter that he made 87 appearances in all competitions and was labelled a "monster" by football scout Jacek Kulig after one of his displays at the Parken Stadium, having played exclusively as a centre-back for the Danish outfit.
Upon signing for Galatasaray in 2021, a £25m release clause was inserted into his contract, as confirmed by the club, and there has been significant interest in signing the defender from clubs in the Premier League, including Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur, with Wolves being the most recent name thrown into the hat.
Head coach O'Neil has preferred to use a back three this season, with Toti and captain Max Kilman partnering the experienced Craig Dawson in the middle. With Toti and Kilman being 24 and 26, Nelsson could potentially be the long-term replacement for 33-year-old Dawson.
The veteran has had a decent season at Molineux but has struggled in recent weeks, particularly on Saturday in a 2-1 defeat away to Arsenal.
Minutes
90
Touches
70
Errors Leading To Shots
1
Dribbled Past
1
Ground Duels Success Rate
33%
Aerial Duels Success Rate
67%
Possession Lost
6
Fouls
1
Tackles
1
Dawson was at partial fault for Arsenal's opening goal of the match as his failed tackle fell directly to Bukayo Saka who scored past Jose Sa.
Furthermore, Nelsson could be an excellent replacement for the Europa Conference League winner and has been outperforming Dawson in a number of key defensive metrics this season.
Passing Accuracy %
87
86.8
Progressive Passes
7.27
2.42
Passes To Final 1/3
3.64
2.42
Tackles
2.73
1.56
Tackles Won
0.53
0.94
Interceptions
1.2
0.55
Clearances
5.45
4.53
Aerial Duels Won
3.64
2.42
Aerial Duels Won %
80
75.6
Dawson is still currently a better tackler than Nelsson but the Dane is outperforming Wolves' experienced centre-half in every other area, particularly on the ball which will become more and more important for O'Neil as he looks to adapt Wolves' system to be more expansive over time.
For this reason, Nelsson could be an excellent addition to the squad should they secure his services in January.