Change of coach has no effect on Wolves pursuit of attacking midfielder
Wolves are still in the hunt for Valencia midfielder Kang-in Lee, according to reports in Spain – but face competition from a La Liga side.
It will be an interesting season at Molineux as Bruno Lage takes the reins from Nuno Espirito Santo. The new manager has already seen his squad reshaped with the additions of Yerson Mosquera, Francisco Trincao and Jose Sa. But there could yet be more arrivals in the final few weeks of the summer transfer window.
One player they have been keeping tabs on for a while is South Korean attacking midfielder Lee. The 20-year-old has been with Valencia since joining their academy in 2011 and has represented their first team since 2018.
Last season, Lee provided four assists from 24 La Liga appearances, 15 of which were starts. He has progressed well since winning the award for the best player at the Under-20 World Cup two years ago. Now, a move to the Premier League could beckon.
AS (via Sport Witness) remind that Wolves have been monitoring Lee since Nuno’s time in charge. Even after the change in coach, the club remain confident that Lee would be a good addition.
He is in the final 12 months of his contract and although he can picture himself staying, Valencia are aiming to sell him this summer. Lee takes up one of the non-EU spots in their squad and they are hoping to make room for someone else, the Brazilian Marcos Andre.
Wolves are still following Lee and could make a move. However, they will face competition from Granada, who want to keep him in La Liga.
After reaching the quarter-finals of the Europa League last season and finishing ninth in the Spanish top-flight, Granada are seeking to consolidate their standing and the acquisition of Lee would help.
But Wolves can offer him a new challenge in the Premier League, so he will have two decent options to consider.
First of all, though, either club must make an appropriate bid for his services.
Wolves eyeing another La Liga midfielder
While Lee would be an interesting option for Wolves to work with in attacking midfield, they are also aiming for one acquisition at the base of the position.
A more defensive option would be Okay Yokuslu of Celta Vigo, after his loan spell with West Brom last season.
The 27-year-old’s three-year stint at Balaidos is nearing its conclusion. The Spanish outfit have made it clear that he will leave this summer and an inviting price tag of just £5m means he is not short of suitors.
Leeds United were thought to hold an interest until director of football Victor Orta explained why it would not happen. Crystal Palace have also been linked in the past but the Eagles have not been mentioned in the past couple of weeks.
It was reported last week that Wolves were very much still in the race for his signature. But Championship outfit Watford then appeared to enter the picture to force a two-horse English race for the Turkey international.
But Marca have reported that the midfielder’s agent, Batur Altiparmak, has spoken with Celta officials. He was there to finalise details of the Turk’s exit and had ‘an offer’ to present to the club’s board. It was not mentioned which club is involved, but that the player’s ‘future could be in the Premier League’.
That would appear to rule out Watford. Intriguingly, Yokuslu was then left out of the Celta squad for their friendly against none other than Wolves on Saturday.
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