Premier League outfit Wolverhampton Wanderers have distanced themselves from speculation regarding £15 million Roma forward Eldor Shomurodov, via Sport24.
One thing is for sure; A new centre-forward cannot come soon enough at Molineux.
Raul Jimenez’s injury, plus Fabio Silva’s departure, leaves Bruno Lage with just Patrick Cutrone and Leo Bonatini as his only senior centre-forward options ahead of this weekend’s league opener away at Leeds United. Hardly an ideal situation, when you consider that only three teams in England’s top flight conceded fewer goals than a toothless Wolves side last term.
But Shomurodov, it seems, will not be parachuted in to take Jimenez’s place in attack.
Who will replace Raul Jimenez at Wolves?
Gianluca di Marzio mentioned Molinuex as a potential destination for the 27-year-old Uzbekistan international this week.
Roma hope to get Shomurodov off the books before closing a deal for free-agent Andrea Belotti, with Jose Mourinho’s side ready to take a big loss on a player who swapped Genoa for the Stadio Olimpico in a £15 million deal 12 months ago.
But, via Russian publication Sport24, a spokesman on behalf of Wolves insisted that these claims are a wide of the mark.
“Interested in Shomurodov? No, this is not true,” explains Max Fitzgerald, the head of the club’s media department.
So, if Shomurodov is a non-starter, where else could Wolves look in pursuit of a new number nine?
According to Sky Sports, they were one of eight, yes eight, Premier League clubs who sent scouts to watch 6ft 6ins Ludovic Ajorque as Strasbourg hammered Liverpool 3-0 in a pre-season friendly on Sunday.
Ajorque has scored 28 goals in the last two Ligue 1 seasons. The rangy targetman helped Strasbourg finish above Lille and Lyon during a terrific 2021/22.
Red Bull Salzburg wonderkid Benjamin Sesko is another option. But the Austrian champions have no interest in cashing in on the so-called ‘next Erling Haaland’.
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