Wolverhampton Wanderers want a striker of proven Championship quality – Dwight Gayle, Chris Martin and Lewis Grabban are all on their radar.
There is no squad in the Championship that can compete with Wolves right now in terms of quality. But some added depth would not go amiss as the league leaders aim to keep the momentum going in the second half of the season.
Wolves have money to spend and targets in mind. And Nuno Espirito Santo has told The Express and Star just what he is looking for in the January transfer window.
“We are very clear, we know exactly what we have to do,” he said of Wolves’ January business. “(A new signing) has to be something that gives us an increase of quality and different characteristics that we don’t have.”
Reinforcements at centre-forward appear to be Wolves’ main priority with Leo Bonatini in need of some support. And the Birmingham Mail claimed that Nuno wants a striker with proven Championship quality – and has narrowed his search down to Derby County’s Chris Martin, on-loan Sunderland talisman Lewis Grabban and Newcastle United’s number nine Dwight Gayle.
Of the three, Gayle appears to be the player who would offer Wolves something ‘different’ in attack. A quick and instinctive striker, the Magpies frontman is a typical penalty box poacher who would offer Wolves more pace and movement than either Martin or Grabban.
He would also be a fine alternative to Bonatini, who utilises his physique more than his pace. And Gayle is certainly proven in the second tier. Just last season, he hit 23 goals in 26 starts to fire Newcastle to the Championship title, and recently he has returned to form – hitting three goals in his last five games.
If Wolves manage to lure him away from St James’ Park in January, most likely for a big transfer fee with Newcastle valuing Gayle at £18 million (The Guardian), they will be hoping he can repeat the trick at Molinuex.
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