Wolves offered an initial £1.5 million for Bordeaux striker Hwang Ui Jo and, according to L’Equipe, would have paid the fallen French giants a further £1 million if they qualified for the Champions League.
Now, this is not the first time a club has made a rather ambitious attempt at a deal involving some, let’s say’, ‘unlikely’ bonuses.
According to The Times, Bayern Munich, when making their first move for Sadio Mane in June, offered an initial £23.5 million, rising to £30 million for Liverpool’s number ten. So far, so normal.
But that additional £6.5 million would only be paid if Mane won the Champions League and the Ballon D’Or in every one of his first three seasons at the Allianz Arena. Now, Mane is a good player. A great one even. But even he is not quite that good.
As such, Bayern’s offer was deemed ‘laughable’.
And Bordeaux could have been forgiven for letting out a rather sarcastic chuckle of their own, as Wolves tried to sign Hwang for £1.5 million, with a further £1 million to be paid if Bruno Lage’s side qualified for the Champions League.
Wolves make Hwang Ui Jo bid with Bordeaux expected to sell
Wolves, for the record, finished 20 points adrift of the top four last term. Even the most rose-tinted of supporters would have to admit that seventh place is probably the height of their ambitions this term, and even that feels on the optimistic side.
Nonetheless, a move for Hwang makes sense. The South Korea international, valued at just £7 million, was a bright spark in a disastrous season for cash-strapped Bordeaux. What’s more, Hwang is reportedly keen on a move to Molineux, despite having already attracted interest from West Ham United.
Wolves may have to go back to the drawing board, however. That initial £1.5 million offer falls well short of Bordeaux’s demands.
Chelsea misfit Michy Batshuayi has also been linked. Ditto Roma’s Eldor Shomurodov.
Long-time target Goncalo Guedes is on his way from Valencia, a £27 million fee agreed (BBC). And while not a direct replacement for the crocked Raul Jimenez, the jet-heeled Portugal international is a reliable source of goals from wide areas.
Guedes scored 13 in arguably his most consistent season yet in 2021/22.
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