Wolverhampton Wanderers have a lot to sort out over the next few months. Gary O'Neil deserves all the plaudits for his work at Molineux but a successful campaign fizzled out in the late stages and now it is imperative to move for signings capable of taking the team further next year.
Talks have already been held regarding the signing of Southampton's Che Adams, who is out of contract in one month, while Manchester City and Newcastle United are leading the charge to sign Wolves star Pedro Neto, who is valued at £60m.
Much to do, but O'Neil has proved his credentials and given that the club are already lining up replacements for Neto, should he leave, there's plenty of cause for optimism.
Wolves lining up Neto replacement
According to Spanish outlets AS and Grada1 – via Sport Witness – Wolves are set to tussle with Aston Villa and West Ham United for the signing of Viktor Tsygankov, who has been a key part of Girona's stunning season, qualifying for the Champions League for the first time in their 94-year history (awaiting UEFA clearance due to shared ownership with Manchester City).
The Ukrainian is understood to have a market price of €28m (£24m) and is calmly evaluating his options ahead of the official opening of the transfer window.
How Viktor Tsygankov would fit in at Wolves
Tsykangov, who is 26 years old, has enjoyed something of a nomadic career but has showcased his quality throughout, with analyst Ben Mattinson calling him “seriously talented” at the start of the season and questioning how he is still performing under the radar.
23/24
Girona
29
25
6
6
22/23
Girona
19
17
3
6
22/23
Dynamo Kyiv
13
13
6
5
21/22
Dynamo Kyiv
18
17
11
3
20/21
Dynamo Kyiv
20
15
12
8
19/20
Dynamo Kyiv
27
21
14
5
The in-demand talent has been effective wherever he has played over the past five years, and while he has not been as potent in front of goal for Girona, he's hardly flattering to deceive with his performances, key to the top-four finish in La Liga and hailed for his "outrageous" skills by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
Indeed, as per Sofascore, the right winger has created 11 big chances and completed 83% of his passes in the Spanish top flight this season, averaging one tackle and 3.5 ball recoveries per outing.
Neto, in comparison, chalked up nine assists and created seven big chances in the Premier League, only starting 18 matches during his injury-disrupted season, though it's easy to see that Tsygankov has the core qualities that could make him an excellent replacement.
As per FBref, Tsygankov ranks among the top 19% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists and the top 9% for clearances per 90, denoting his impressive mix of creative and industrious defensive attributes.
The £23k-per-week ace would be a worthy successor to a dynamic winger like Neto in this regard, who has been praised for his "absolutely incredible" technical ability by his manager but has also averaged four ball recoveries and 3.5 successful duels per game in the Premier League this term, highlighting his energy and tenacity.
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If O'Neil's Portuguese maverick is sold, Wolves will have a bit of a war chest to bolster the squad across a number of areas, and Tsygankov would be the perfect man to take his place on the flank.