With their relegation to the Championship confirmed, Wolverhampton Wanderers have had plenty of time to prepare their squad for the upcoming season.
While some unexpected twists have come since then, most notably the shock sacking of Rob Edwards in order to appoint César Peixoto, they have still managed to secure some positive signings in the form of Raúl Jiménez, Kieran Trippier and others.
Tolu On His Way Out, Alternative Eyed
However, relegation has meant a certain inevitability that key players will leave, and this week has seen progress towards two of those names walking. The first is Joao Gomes, with Aston Villa on the brink of securing a £38 million deal to recruit the 25-year-old.
The other is Tolu Arokodare, who has been a prime target for Serie A side Fiorentina after it was confirmed by Liam Keen of the Express and Star that he is likely to leave Molineux this summer.
The Italian side’s most recent offer was a loan deal with a €22 million (£18.7 million) buy clause, as reported by Fabrizio Romano.
Wolves have already been proactive in their hunt for a potential replacement striker who would support Jiménez and fellow striker Adam Armstrong, with Alasdair Gold reporting that they have had an eight-figure enquiry for Tottenham Hotspur‘s Will Lankshear knocked back.
However, in their hunt, they could find more success in another Premier League forward, who has fallen out of favour at their current club in the form of Brighton and Hove Albion‘s Evan Ferguson.
A Rocky Road So Far
Evan Ferguson was a striker with plenty of promise, with his breakout season at the Amex two years ago propelling him into the spotlight, and for a brief moment, he became the first-choice forward for the Republic of Ireland.
However, in the intervening years, his stature has faltered, firstly due to a six-month injury layoff which allowed Danny Welbeck and later Georgino Rutter to move ahead of him in the Seagulls’ pecking order.
That, followed by the introduction of Fabian Hurzeler as the new manager at Brighton, meant that by the time of his return, minutes were limited which led to a loan to West Ham United.
However, a reunification with a former manager in Graham Potter turned into a disaster, with just eight appearances and no goals to his name.
Last season saw Brighton add another forward in Charalampos Kostoulas, which allowed Ferguson to head out to Roma, where he still struggled to rekindle his form with just 5 goals in 22 appearances.
With Hurzeler’s preferred trio of Welbeck, Rutter and Kostoulas set to continue on heading into a season including European football, Ferguson may once again be sent out to pasture, and perhaps now is the time they opt to cash in.
What Can Ferguson Offer Wolverhampton Wanderers?
Wolves are seemingly willing to spend, given their eight-figure interest in Will Lankshear and with their coffers set to receive a massive boost when Joao Gomes’ sale goes through, then Ferguson could be the ideal final signing to stock out their striking options.
Firstly, it is important to mention that the 21-year-old has once again been plagued by injury, having undergone surgery on his ankle, with Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrimsson stating that he does not expect him back to full fitness for another two months.
That would keep him out of action for at least Wanderers’ first nine fixtures of the season, but with a rearrangement in the International break structure, that should coincide with a lengthy three-week break which can be used as his own pre-season to get back to fitness.
With failed spells at West Ham and Roma, dropping down to the Championship could be a case of one step back to take two steps forward, and with the Old Gold likely to contend for promotion immediately, heading to the Black Country could be his ticket back to a regular Premier League place, especially with Raul Jimenez heading into the final years of his career.
During his purple patch at Brighton, Ferguson seemingly excelled at getting shots on target regularly, achieving an average of 1.32 per 90 in that metric, and also rated highly amongst Premier League strikers for successful passes and dribbles.
The big question comes down to whether Wolves would prefer a third striker, which could easily stake a place for regular minutes under a manager who has tended to favour using a single striker in a 4-2-3-1 formation.
But if César Peixoto is willing to take that risk and rekindle that form in him, then Wolves could have the striker they need for the next five years in the 21-year-old, and could aid Ferguson in reclaiming his place as an Ireland regular heading into a home European Championship in 2028.
