Wolves made approach for Kondogbia

Wolverhampton Wanderers ‘approached’ Atletico Madrid to bring Geoffrey Kondogbia to the Premier League in January, according to journalist Fabrizio Romano.

The Lowdown: Neves successor?

The Old Gold could be set to lose captain Ruben Neves in the summer, with Football Insider reporting that he’s ready to quit, and the 30-year-old Kondogbia may have been identified as his ideal successor should he decide to depart at the end of the season.

The Los Colchoneros midfielder has now entered the final 18 months of his contract at the Metropolitano Stadium and is facing an uncertain future having not yet signed a new deal.

The Central African Republic international is Diego Simeone’s second top-performing defensive player and has therefore caught the eye of Julen Lopetegui at Molineux.

The Latest: Wolves make approach

Taking to Twitter, Romano revealed that Wolves made contact to discover the availability of Kondogbia at the start of the New Year and could still be following him ahead of the upcoming window.

“Geoffrey Kondogbia has not played one single minute in the last six games for Atlético. Simeone: ‘We are not being so fair with Geoffrey because he’s working well…’

“Understand Wolves approached Atleti for Kondogbia in January — PL clubs, monitoring him for July.”

The Verdict: Worth another attempt

Kondogbia is said to play ‘like Pogba’, according to former Netherlands manager Frank de Boer, and it would definitely be worth Wolves taking a second bite of the cherry to sign him ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.

The left-footed ace is naturally a defensive midfielder and currently ranks in the 98th percentile for most interceptions per game whilst averaging 2.3 tackles every 90 minutes in La Liga.

The Nemours native is also strong in the offensive aspect of his game having scored 15 goals and provided 21 assists throughout his career, highlighting his desire to contribute to his team’s efforts in the final third (Transfermarkt).

Fosun’s target has the ability to operate in both defensive and central midfield alongside at centre-back, making him a valuable option to have in the building should any unexpected injuries occur.

Standing at 6 foot 2, Atletico’s maestro would add a different dimension to Lopetegui’s central options with his height, making him an influence at both ends of the pitch.

Finally, Kondogbia has won three senior trophies since first emerging onto the scene, including the Europa League, so knows what it takes to be successful and could bring this much-needed winning mentality to the Midlands.