Hellas Verona right-back Jackson Tchatchoua has reportedly agreed to a five-year deal with Wolves to replace Nelson Semedo.
Wolves’ interest in Jackson Tchatchoua dates back to the start of July, but it’s really in the last 24 hours that interest has evolved into a deal.
Following the announcement of the Cameroon international’s medical last night, Gianluca Di Marzio has provided details on the personal terms agreed on by the player.
The 23-year-old will sign a five-year contract that works out at £36,000 per week, a significant saving when compared to his predecessor.
Wolves will save £3.5m per year by replacing Nelson Semedo with Jackson Tchatchoua
Semedo was the captain of Wolves and a key component of Vitor Pereira’s side. His departure saddened Wolves fans, who saw Semedo as an important figure for Wolves in his five years at Molineux.
One upside that comes from him leaving is the money Wolves will save on Semedo’s wages.
Nelson Semedo playing for Wolves.
Photo by Wolverhampton Wanderers FC/Wolves via Getty Images
The Portuguese star was one of the highest earners at the club with a weekly cheque of £100,000. That amounts to £5.2 million per year, but the young Tchatchoua is costing far less, at £1.7 million annually.
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However, the benefits of this cost-cutting will only be appreciated if their new wing-back can come in and make an impact.
Jackson Tchatchoua is a gamble, but one Wolves and Vitor Pereira need to take
Wolves’ primary targets for the right-back position were two Spaniards, Sevilla star Juanlu Sanchez, and UD Almeira’s Marc Pubill. Both of these players are more established than Wolves’ new man. Of course, they would have been more expensive as well.
Every club looking to buy in that position seemed to be flocking toward the same targets this summer, and Wolves couldn’t get ahead in any race they entered.
They were presented with the opportunity to go for a slightly less popular name, and given the lack of options in the squad, they had to pounce.
Tchatchoua may not be the technical player Wolves were gunning for, but he is physically at Premier League level and could well surprise many people in his first season for the club.