Who Wolves could sign to replace Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri as AI makes some bold suggestions.
It’s all change for Wolverhampton Wanderers ahead of next season as Vitor Pereira bids farewell to two star players and searches for replacements.
The Old Gold kickstarted an exciting new era under Pereira’s management during the second half of last season, escaping a relegation fight and charging towards mid-table contention. Wolves are hoping to continue that trajectory heading into next campaign but it could be tricky following a dramatic start to the summer transfer window.
Wanderers secured a club-record £62.5 million transfer fee as Matheus Cunha was confirmed as a Manchester United player on June 1. Wolves had no choice but to let their talismanic forward leave as he had a release clause in his contract. Rayan Ait-Nouri is the next to go as Manchester City have agreed a £33.6 million deal to sign the left wing-back, with the transfer expected to be finalised in the coming days.
Wolves are expected to conduct transfer business to strengthen the squad in a whole host of areas this summer, namely at striker, centre-back and in central midfield – but the priority will now be replacing Cunha and Ait-Nouri. With around £96 million to splash - perhaps not all in one go due to the instalments of the Cunha deal - there are many routes Wanderers could take.
Who, then, should Wolves target to be the successors for Cunha and Ait-Nouri? James McAtee and Harvey Elliott have been linked as attacking midfield options and Clement Bischoff is on the shortlist at left wing-back, but what if there were some more left-field options?
To find out what direction Wolves could head in, we’ve enlisted the help of artificial intelligence. Using Grok, the AI tool built into social media platform X (formerly Twitter), we asked who the best signings would be for the Old Gold in Cunha and Ait-Nouri’s positions. Here’s what it came up with.
Wolves told to sign £33m duo as Cunha and Ait-Nouri replacements
As we hoped, Grok threw out two players who Wanderers are probably yet to consider but would likely both be welcomed with open arms by supporters. To replace Cunha, Grok suggests Wolves should pick up the phone and call Wolfsburg to discuss a move for ‘dynamic’ centre-forward Mohamed Amoura.
Albeit not a number 10 like Cunha, Amoura likes to drop deep and often drifts wide to find space. The 25-year-old has been on loan at Wolfsburg from Union Saint-Gilloise this season and is set to join permanently for merely €15 million. You’d think, in that case, that Amoura wouldn’t be available to sign but German publication Kicker has reported the attacker could be sold for an immediate profit.
Amoura scored 10 goals and provided 12 assists in a remarkable debut Bundesliga season, exceeding all expectations. The 32-time Algeria international was in fine form for USG the season before last, too, as he netted 17 goals in 23 Jupiler Pro League matches. Grok reckons £33 million would be enough to tempt Wolfsburg, though the Bundesliga club are likely to ask for more than that.
Now, to replace Ait-Nouri, Grok thinks Wolves should go after Southampton’s Kyle Walker-Peters. Albeit a right-back by trade, the former Tottenham Hotspur man is also capable of playing as a left-back or left wing-back. There aren’t many better value options out there as Walker-Peters wouldn’t cost any transfer fee thanks to his Saints contract expiring at the end of this month.
Not only could Walker-Peters be a good replacement for Ait-Nouri, but he could also be a successor to Nelson Semedo at right-back if the captain leaves Molineux. Semedo has been offered a new four-year contract but is yet to put pen to paper. Wanderers could feasibly go for Walker-Peters, then, but they would face fierce competition as Brighton & Hove Albion have been strongly linked.
What do you make of the AI suggestions? Let us know in the comments section if you agree and who you would sign to replace Cunha and Ait-Nouri.
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