Wolves were perhaps the surprise package of the Premier League last season and, with a midfield base of the likes of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho, earned praise from the likes of Jose Mourinho for their ability in the engine room.
The midfield pairing of the two Portuguese was a pleasure to watch last season. Described as perfect partners by Premier League analyst Adrian Clarke last summer, it largely looked like a midfield pivot most other sides in the division would be envious of.
Still, Wolves are seemingly not looking to rest on their laurels, with Calciomercato reporting they are interested in 22-year-old Lyon midfielder Lucas Tousart in what would be a stunning move.
The Frenchman largely made a name for himself in the 2016-2017 season, described as the new N’Golo Kante after an impressive breakthrough campaign (per Goal). They stated the midfielder was developing into an all-round midfielder, increasingly making an impression on the Lyon fans.
Well, they seemed to be correct, with Tousart locking down a permanent role in a highly talented Lyon side that includes Tottenham bound Tanguy Ndombele. Indeed, he has made 67 league appearances in the last two seasons, also playing seven times this season in the Champions League in which he scored against Barcelona.
So, who is the talented youngster?
Tousart is a defensive midfielder that – similarly to Kante – appears to cover every blade of grass, while also being highly competent on the ball. The Frenchman finished the season with an impressive 86.5% pass completion, which could help Wolves in their attempts to play through teams who defend deep against them, an obvious problem last season.
Going the other way, he also averaged 2.5 tackles a game, more than Kante (2.1) but the Chelsea man did marginally outperform his countryman in interceptions, while also being dribbled past on fewer occasions (per WhoScored).
Obviously, Kante is a World Cup winner, playing at a top club in the prime of his career, but it’s easy to see why there are comparisons.
But where would he fit in the team? Well, while Wolves were indeed particularly impressive last season, they scored just 47 goals, the lowest in the top 12 and this is despite having two impressive attackers in Raul Jiminez and Diogo Jota.
Ruben Neves, one of Wolves’ most creative talents (averaging 2.1 shots and 0.8 key passes a game according to WhoScored), scored just four goals last season, two down from the season prior. Indeed, not a drastic decline, and perhaps representative of the step up in opposition but the Portuguese international is perhaps somewhat wasted further deep.
Should Neves be afforded the opportunity of more regularly operating higher up the pitch, it could seriously enhance Wolves’ attacking prospects. With that in mind, the potential introduction of Tousart would be an excellent idea.
Wolves fans, what do you make of the proposed transfer? A deal that makes sense? Let us know!
