Why Emiliano Sala would be a perfect signing for Wolves in January
According to Daily Mail, a host of Premier League clubs including Everton, Wolves and West Ham are scouting Nantes striker Emiliano Sala. The same report claims that the French outfit value their talismanic forward at £25million and the Premier League clubs will have to break the bank to land the Argentinian in January.
The 28-year-old centre-forward is currently one of the in-form stars of Ligue 1, having scored 11 goals from 12 appearances.
Sala started his professional career with Bordeaux in 2012 but spent time on loan at lower division clubs like Orleans, Caen and Niort due to a lack of regular minutes. The 28-year-old was signed by Nantes back in 2015 and he has been instrumental in their rise to become a top-ten outfit in recent years.
The Argentine is yet to earn an international cap but that is quite understandable given that he shares the same nationality with stalwarts like Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero. However, he deserves all the credits for his consistent performances in front of the goal in the last couple of seasons.
Held in high regard by the officials at Nantes for his poaching abilities inside the box, the 28-year-old averages 1.9 shots per game this term in Ligue 1. However, something that must prompt the likes of Everton and Wolves to make a move for him is his ability to dominate his defensive counterparts in the air.
As a matter of fact, Sala’s 6ft 2in frame makes him a potent threat from set-pieces and corners, and he has earned rave reviews for his aerial prowess in the French top-flight, averaging 2.4 successful aerial duels per game.
Like every other player on the pitch, the Argentine has his limitations as a centre-forward. He is not blessed with lightning pace or silky dribbling skills like some of his counterparts but he makes up for it with his goalscoring instincts.
He is more of an opportunistic striker who relies on his instincts and awareness to make runs behind the defenders and has an uncanny knack of being at the right place and at the right time.
To put things into perspective. he perfectly fits the bill for Nuno Espirito Santo at Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Premier League new boys have already made eyeballs turn with their consistently resilient and impressive performances against some of the top teams in the division.
As much as Wolves have promised this season, they have been short of goals in the Premier League, having found the net just 12 times in 12 games so far. Diogo Jota, Helder Costa, Adama Traore and Raul Jimenez have all hit the ground running but they do not have the numbers to show for their efforts.
Raul Jimenez has been one of the standout performers for Wolves in the final third, contributing a lot to the attack with his link-up play and has held up the ball very well to allow his teammates to get into scoring positions. With 3 goals and 4 assists, the Mexican has by far been the most productive player for Wolves this season.
Wolves have plenty of firepower to stay alive in the Premier League but going by the start that they have made, the manager should have high hopes for his side.
And signing a striker like Emiliano Sala can be a massive boost to their chances of securing a top-ten finish, if not a spot in Europe next season.