After £16m rejection, Wolves must somehow complete a deal for this extremely talented Premier League starlet

Why Wolves must go all out to sign Manchester City ace Oleksandr Zinchenko

Premier League new-boys Wolverhampton Wanderers reportedly made a bid to sign Oleksandr Zinchenko from Manchester City at the start of the month. Wolves made a club-record £16million bid to sign him but since then, the trail has grown cold, with suggestions that the deal is dead and buried.

Meanwhile, Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolves have signed Jonny Castro on a season-long loan from Atletico Madrid. With Ruben Vinagre’s loan deal made permanent earlier this year and following Jonny’s arrival at Molineux, Nuno has sanctioned the sale of Barry Douglas, one of the club’s chief contributors in their Championship triumph last season.

Douglas, 28, was signed on a two-year deal last summer from Konyaspor and he became a pivotal figure in the Wolves’ Championship-winning season, contributing with 5 goals and 14 assists.

But he is set to drop down to the Championship, with Wolves having reportedly agreed on a fee with Leeds United. Douglas’ departure would leave a huge hole at left wing-back, even though Nuno has Vinagre and now, the experienced Castro as his options.

However, Wolves must reignite their interest in Manchester’s City Zinchenko and act fast to complete the deal with just two weeks left for the transfer window to close.

Zinchenko, 21, made 14 appearances for City last season as he helped to cover the absence of Benjamin Mendy by filling in as a makeshift left-back. Given that the 21-year-old’s opportunities in his favoured attacking midfield role look almost impossible to come by, Pep Guardiola used the player at left wing-back role and surprisingly, Zinchenko thrived.

The Ukrainian started only six games under Guardiola last season and showed glimpses of real quality. He could achieve big if given a proper platform and a significant amount of opportunities.

Now that Benjamin Mendy and Fabian Delph are fully fit, Zinchenko would hardly get a look in at the left-back position. Also, the arrival of Riyad Mahrez means Zinchenko’s chances are slim at Man City.

At 21, Zinchenko must find a club where he can play regularly. Wolves can certainly provide him with the platform to showcase his real worth. Due to his versatility, the Ukrainian would be such a valuable player at Molineux.

Zinchenko is a central midfielder by trade but after his impressive performances in a makeshift left-back role last season, Nuno could perhaps use him as a back-up to Jonny or field him in a floater’s role in the middle of the park.

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The opportunity to play week in, week out will only improve Zinchenko’s already undeniable talent. All in all, Zinchenko is a signing that would give Nuno plenty of options, and Wolves should make a last-ditch attempt to get a deal done for the talented youngster.