Wolves could land their Nelson Semedo replacement with an ingenious Dortmund swap deal.
Wolverhampton Wanderers are in the market for a new right wing-back this summer and they could soon land a priority target by taking an unconventional approach.
The Old Gold are expected to begin the new Premier League season a little light on the right side of defence after Nelson Semedo announced his departure, so it’s an area that needs addressing. Wolves’ captain for the second half of last campaign and a pivotal player in Vitor Pereira’s system, Semedo turned down a new contract in favour of joining Jose Mourinho’s Fenerbahce.
Wolves have been making efforts to sign a replacement but have been knocked back on several occasions. Marc Pubill looked likely to join from Almeria but he stalled and then moved to Atletico Madrid instead. Then it was Sevilla’s Juanlu Sanchez, a similar profile of player, who appears to have rejected Wanderers in favour of Italian Serie A giants Napoli.
Wolves should sign versatile Dortmund gem to replace Semedo
Signing a ready-made replacement for Semedo would probably be the best approach for Wolves rather than signing an up-and-coming prospect as wing-backs are so important to Pereira’s system. There’s a brilliant option who has already been linked, too, who should be able to hit the ground running if he were to join. His name? It’s Julian Ryerson.
The Borussia Dortmund defender, 27, is in his prime and is effective in both boxes. It’s easier said than done to be a regular starter for a club as big as Dortmund but Ryerson has managed to accumulate more than 1,750 Bundesliga minutes in each of the past two campaigns.
Signed from fellow Bundesliga club Union Berlin back in January 2023, Ryerson has racked up 101 appearances across all competitions for Dortmund, scoring six goals and providing six assists in that time. Albeit yet to win a major trophy, Ryerson has now had plenty of experience at the top level in both the Bundesliga and the Champions League.
Predominantly a right wing-back but also more than capable of playing on the left or even as a defensive midfielder, Ryerson has proven his versatility over the years. Wolves could really tap into that as they not only need a right wing-back but have also been eyeing several deep-lying midfield players.
No concrete talks have been held just yet but that could change in the near future as Wolves and Sunderland are said to hold a strong interest. Ryerson is reportedly happy in Dortmund but the Premier League is his dream destination, so he could be tempted to move onto pastures new.
£22m Dortmund swap deal makes sense for Wolves
Now, it awaits to be seen how much Wolves would need to bid to tempt Dortmund into a sale, but they need not offer any money at all. Instead, Wanderers could suggest a genius swap deal involving a player Dortmund have recently been in advanced talks to sign.
Fabio Silva, widely considered a flop at Molineux as he’s scored just five goals and provided six assists in 72 games for Wolves, is the subject of strong interest from Dortmund. The new Portugal international, signed from Porto for a whopping £35 million back in 2020, has never settled in as hoped and has been on the transfer list for successive summers.
Not all has been lost for Silva and Wolves, though, as a loan to Las Palmas last season helped the attacker regain some form and confidence. Silva scored 10 goals in 25 games for the Spanish La Liga outfit, attracting interest from across Europe as a consequence.
A recent report from Football Insider suggests Wolves value Silva at around £22 million amid interest from Dortmund and Roma. It’s unknown what Ryerson’s asking price would be but the Norway international cost BVB just £4.5 million in January 2023 and his current market value - as per Transfermarkt - is about £17.3 million.
With that in the same ball park as what Wolves are demanding for Silva, a swap of the two players could make perfect sense. Ryerson, as mentioned, is eager to move to England one day. Silva should be keen on moving in the opposite direction, too, as Sky Germany reported last week that the forward was ‘ready’ to sign a five-year contract with Dortmund.
Would you like to see this swap deal happen this summer? Let us know in the comments section.
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