da casino： Wolverhampton Wanderers may not be in action this week with the international break taking centre stage, but that hasn’t stopped them gearing up for a busy January transfer window.
da dobrowin： That’s if you believe the latest reports emerging from Molineux.
Last month, Birmingham Live hinted towards a potentially active opening month in 2020 by claiming that the club have a centre-back and a central midfielder high on their wishlist.
This appears to be trending towards being somewhat accurate as they continue to be linked to both positions, and this week has seen them mooted with a potential move for Ruben Dias, once again.
Only this time, they face stiff competition from Premier League heavyweights Manchester City and Manchester United.
Portuguese newspaper O Jogo, via Sport Witness, have made these claims, stating that Dias has a release clause of €66m (£56.5m).
It remains to be seen whether the 22-year-old will become a Wolves player, but here’s what some of the writers at Football FanCast think…
Viji Jeevathayalan
“It’s a sign of the massive improvements Wolves have made, that they find themselves in the conversation with a player who has been linked with the two Manchester giants.
“Despite only being 22, Ruben Dias has played 102 times for Benfica and has built up a wealth of experience playing in the Portuguese top-flight and the Champions League. If Nuno Espirito Santo’s side can convince the centre-back to join them over both Manchester United and Manchester City, then that would be a real statement of intent.
“The ultimate modern-day centre-half, Dias combines great technique on the ball (he averages 67.5 passes per game at a staggering accuracy of 89.2%), and rugged physicality off it (he makes 1.5 tackles per game). Make no mistake, a January swoop would be a major coup for Wolves.”
Billy Meyers
“At first glance, this signing would seem much too far-fetched for me – Ruben Dias is playing for a Portuguese giant in Benfica and is a regular for the Portugal national team, whilst surely Manchester City and Manchester United will have too much financial might for Wolves.
“However, the Midlands-based side have shocked us before in luring Ruben Neves to Molineux whilst in the Championship – they certainly aren’t strangers to securing a massive transfer coup.
“To put it simply, this would be a brilliant signing in terms of the current day and for the future. At just 22, Dias is powerful, good on the ball and has plenty of pace in his locker, while there would definitely be value in bringing him to the club if possible given the ever-increasing craziness of the transfer market – who knows how much Dias could be worth in a few years?
“If there is even a shred of a chance for Wolves to sign Dias, they should jump on it.”
Domagoj Kostanjsak
“Honestly, Wolves can’t go wrong with signing him. Ruben Dias is one of those players that you struggle to find clear-cut flaws with, and he would definitely be a major swoop for the club.
“That being said, I reckon they could face some competition, but if they can somehow lure him in, that’d be a brilliant piece of business on their side, especially given their need of a good defender.”
Watch Wolverhampton Wanderers Videos With StreamFootball.tv Below
Lewis Blain
“Make no mistake. Ruben Dias would be an absolutely outstanding coup for Wolves and even the Premier League. It is the sort of signing that will elevate the club onto a dumbfounded level. If you think the Europa League is their ambition, then think again.
“The Portugal centre-back has become one of the best in the world in his role at the age of just 22 – if you want to believe Benfica president Luis Filipe Vieira in Tuttosport via Football Italia.
“He already has a UEFA Nations League winners medal, where he also won the Man of the Match in the final and a domestic title to his name. This is precisely the sort of player that Wolves need to be targeting if they are to progress as a club.
“Per WhoScored, Dias averages a phenomenal passing accuracy of 89.2%, 2.3 clearances and 1.5 tackles per game which makes him a superb fit for Nuno Santo’s system.”