Wolves have re-entered the hunt for the “fearless” £20 million Kilman upgrade.
Wolves will try to sign this player in January, reviving a failed summer move to bolster their team.
Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 in the Premier League last weekend, with Mario Lemina bundling an effort into the back of the net after seven minutes of added time.
Even with star man Pedro Neto still out due to injury, Gary O’Neil’s team defeated Ange Postecoglou’s Spurs at Molineux, with other members of the Old Gold squad increasing their performance levels as a result to clinch Wolves’ fourth win of the top-flight season.
After a summer of significant upheaval for the West Midlands club, which saw players such as Ruben Neves and Nathan Collins leave and ex-manager Julen Lopetegui resign, Wolves now sit in a commendable 12th place, well away from the relegation zone.
The Old Gold are currently ten points ahead of Sheffield United in 18th place, with relegation already a distant prospect.
This isn’t to say O’Neil won’t be tempted to bolster his squad in the forthcoming January transfer window, with reports circulating that highly regarded Sao Paolo centre-back Lucas Beraldo might be on his way to Molineux despite a summer deal never materializing.
Wolves’ most recent transfer
According to a new report from Brazilian daily Lance!, Wolves could be back in the hunt for Beraldo, with the club previously interested in signing the 19-year-old to add cover to the centre-back areas.
Wolves are unfortunately not the only interested party with January fast approaching – Liverpool are also highly believed to be interested in the teenage sensation, especially if they can land Beraldo at the fair asking price mentioned.
O’Neil will be hoping that Wolves come out on top in this transfer battle with Jurgen Klopp’s Reds, with Beraldo an enticing prospect who would push for a starting berth with Wolves mainstays Craig Dawson and Max Kilman in the future.
Beraldo’s playing style
Beraldo, who has yet to miss a game for Sao Paolo this season, has starred in recent weeks for the Brazilian giants.
It has even resulted in the club’s enthusiastic president Juilo Casares labeling the teenager as “great” in the aftermath of these new transfer rumours, with Sao Paolo desperate to keep Beraldo in Brazil for longer.
At the start of this month, his performance in a slim 1-0 win over Cruzeiro stood out, winning three of his five ground duels, according to Sofascore, to help contribute to an effective shut-out of the visitors, with that an indication of his “fearless & tenacious” manner, as hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
Liverpool are keeping an eye on 19 year old Brazilian defender Lucas Beraldo.
However, there had been no contact with player’s agents (Trivela). São Paulo are in need of cash and a fee ~£20m could seal the deal in January. #LFC pic.twitter.com/z86w5JV6Ox— SHooMit (@SHoomwitter) November 14, 2023
According to FBRef, O’Neil completed 89.2% of his passes per 90 minutes this season while playing in the Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, having been lauded as “an excellent mix of a pure defender & ball-playing CB” by Kulig.
Wolves could hit gold by signing the teenager, who could even displace Max Kilman in the starting line-up with his unique skill set. He is a well-rounded figure – tough in a tackle but also composed in receiving the ball and launching a counter-attack.
How does Beraldo stack up against Kilman?
Kilman is significantly more of a battler for his team than Beraldo is for his current Brazilian employers, with Kilman blocking 1.96 shots during the last year, compared to Beraldo’s 1.26.
However, according to FBRef, the 19-year-old blows Kilman out of the water with his passing statistics – the Sao Paolo prodigy would help Wolves make their game far more progressive, completing an incredible 5.95 progressive passes per 90 over the last year.
Kilman, on the other hand, only receives a 2.87.
Similarly, while the latter is not quite as skilled on the ball, attempting only 56.16 passes per 90 minutes, his Brazilian counterpart, meantime, averages a brilliant 73.25 in that area, providing more proof of the benefits that the in-demand ace could give to the Old Gold.
With Dawson already providing a strong and silent presence in the backline, it may be time for O’Neil to take Kilman out of the starting eleven and replace him with Beraldo as an attack-minded, ball-playing defender if he is signed.
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