He is anticipated to relocate to Europe this summer. Wolverhampton Wanderers surprised many people’s expectations this season, with numerous football fans and pundits, including BBC Sport journalist Phil McNulty, forecasting their relegation. He ranked them 19th in his pre-season predictions, stating that he had a “very, very worrying feeling” about the Midlands team.
However, Gary O’Neil’s side finished 14th in the Premier League table, 20 points clear of relegation. In actuality, they were only three points away from finishing in the top half, with Crystal Palace taking tenth place with 49 points.
The Wolves actually outperformed this season, according to Understat’s expected points statistic. According to the predicted points table, the Midlands team scored seven points more than they should have, with an expected total of 39xPTS.
This is undoubtedly impressive from manager O’Neil, whose team has become fluid and transitional this season, with players such as Matheus Cunha, Pedro Neto, and Hwang Hee-chan excelling. With such an amazing base in place, O’Neil and his team will be able to use it as a springboard to climb even higher in the Premier League table next season, as well as perhaps gain momentum in the cup. Wolves have already been linked with a potential signing, who may replace one of their existing players if he departs. Wolves target South American winger
The player in question is Ramon Sosa of CA Talleres and a Paraguay international. The 24-year-old might make a huge move to Europe this summer after impressing in Argentina’s top flight football. According to sources in Paraguay, Wolves are one of the clubs most interested in bringing Sosa to Europe. If they wish to make a purchase, they will face heavy competition from London clubs Chelsea, Newcastle United, and the City Group, which owns Manchester City. According to the source, Sosa’s current club, CA Talleres, values him at over £16 million. They are expected to make a substantial profit on the 24-year-old, despite spending only £1.8 million on him in January.
As aforementioned, a deal for Sosa from Wolves would likely occur should Neto leave the club. Newcastle and City are also interested in bringing the Portuguese international to their respective clubs. However, Wolves would demand a large fee, thought to be in the region of £60m, according to John Percy of The Telegraph. How Sosa and Neto compare
Sosa’s numbers in top-flight football for CA Talleres this season have certainly been impressive. The 24-year-old has scored four goals and registered four assists for his side in just 12 league appearances.
Neto has played slightly more games in the Premier League due to injury issues. However, the winger has also put up some impressive numbers. The Portuguese, who will be heading to Euro 2024, has scored two and registered nine assists in 20 games for Wolves.
Stylistically, the two players are extremely similar. Neto is a lightning-quick winger who takes advantage of his speed by relentlessly pursuing opposing defenders. Sosa is a tall, quick two-way winger who can attack from the inside or outside of a defense, making his game unpredictable.
It’s also vital to observe how they compare statistically. According to Fbref, Sosa is one of the finest dribblers in the world. He averages 7.22 take-ons per 90 minutes and 3.89 full take-ons per 90 minutes, putting him in the top 1% for both metrics, indicating that he is, statistically, one of the world’s greatest with the ball at his feet.
In contrast, Fbref reports that Neto averages only 5.22 attempted take-ons every 90 minutes and 2.2 completed take-ons. This places him in the top 20% and top 22%, respectively. Regardless, the numbers are still staggering. The Paraguayan is a powerful dribbler, according to football commentator Ben Mattinson on X, who calls him a “problem every time he gets the ball”. Mattinson then goes on to explain Sosa’s “unpredictability on the ball”.
Sosa’s rapid dribbling and determination to get on the ball and make things happen is a luxury that the Wolves share with Neto. That makes him an ideal option to replace the Portuguese this summer, assuming he leaves Molineux.
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