Why Wolves should plot a January swoop for Preston’s Ben Davies

Willy Boly’s ankle injury is undoubtedly a huge blow for Wolves and one that has come when Nuno Espirito Santo’s men were just looking to garner some momentum after a tough start to the Premier League season.

Wolves have confirmed that Boly has broken his ankle and may need surgery. The Wanderers have been well below par this season, winning just two of ten Premier League games. But Boly has been a shining light at the back, impressing at the Molineux ever since his move from Porto in 2017.

The French-born defender sustained the injury after slipping in training at Compton Park on Saturday and missed the 1-1 draw at Newcastle United. And he is set to be sidelined for some time after fracturing his fibula. In his absence, the likes of Jesus Vallejo and Conor Coady will need to step up to the plate.

As far as Vallejo is concerned, has actually struggled a bit in English football so far, but it’s still early days and he can potentially announce himself to the Molineux faithful in the coming weeks if he gets chances.

But the Spaniard cannot be entirely trusted upon and with Ryan Bennett recovering from his adductor injury, Nuno has Romain Saiss and Leander Dendoncker as makeshift defenders in his squad.

As Nuno prefers playing with three central defenders, he could do well by signing a centre-back in January to bolster his squad regardless of whether Wolves manage to secure qualification to the knockout stages of the Europa League, and rekindling interest in Preston North End defender Ben Davies could be a masterstroke moving forward.

Wolves are one of the Premier League clubs interested in signing Ben Davies from Preston in January, reports the Sun. Davies, 24, is a Preston academy graduate who broke into the team two years ago after loan spells across the Football League.

And the left-footed defender has been one of the standout performers for Alex Neil’s side this season, having made 41 appearances last term.

Davies has established himself as one of the top defenders in the Championship over the last two seasons and his impressive performances haven’t gone unnoticed.

Interest from Premier League clubs are a testament of his rapid progress in the Championship. He would be a welcome addition to the Wolves backline given that the 24-year-old has the talent and the potential to make the grade in the Premier League.

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The centre-back, who can also operate at left-back, has caught the eye with his towering stature, aerial pedigree, robust tackling and exceptional ball-playing skills.

The technically-gifted Davies has the attributes to fit perfectly into Santo’s system and he might as well prove to be an upgrade on someone like Bennett in the long run if he goes on to fulfil his potential.

Verdict

Preston will be reluctant to let Davies leave in January as they are eyeing promotion this season, meaning Wolves will need to be ready to splash a lot of money to persuade the Championship club into selling their star defender.