Why Wolves reigniting interest in Pape Abou Cisse would be a good idea

Back in July, a report from Daily Express had claimed that Wolves were credited with an interest in Olympiacos centre-back Pape Abou Cisse.

Arsenal had also shown interest in the 24-year-old, who went on to play a key role for Senegal at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt. However, despite interest from the Premier League clubs, nothing came to fruition and the Senegalese international stayed put at Olympiacos in Greece (h/t Express).

Wolves went on to complete deals for a number of young talents in the summer, with Patrick Cutrone coming through the door from AC Milan as a marquee signing. 

Bruno Jordao and Pedro Neto were also brought in from Lazio while Jesus Vallejo, who signed for the Black Country outfit on loan from Real Madrid, was a solitary addition to the backline.

Despite enduring a mediocre start to their Premier League campaign, Wolves have done well to grind out some positive results in recent weeks, including a 2-1 victory over rivals Aston Villa.

Not only that, but the Black Country outfit have also put themselves on the brink of qualification to the knockout rounds of the Europa League after back-to-back victories over Slovan Bratislava in Group K.

However, Wolves have struggled to cope with the pressure of playing in Europe with a rather small and tight-knit squad that has already been hit by several injuries. 

Willy Boly, who has been one of the club’s mainstays at the back since the start of the previous campaign, currently finds himself condemned to an extended spell on the sidelines. 

To put things into perspective, Wolves going back in the market for Pape Abou Cisse in January could go a long way towards helping them cope with the long-term injury to Boly. 

The 24-year-old’s arrival would definitely add a lot more depth to their defensive options, with Jesus Vallejo failing to prove his worth since his loan switch from Real Madrid in the summer. 

Verdict

Notwithstanding the fact that Max Kilman has held his own in the Europa League games – and the likes of Romain Saiss and Leander Dendoncker are more than capable of slotting into the manager’s back-three system – a powerful defender like Pape Abou Cisse would certainly be an upgrade.

At 24, he still has loads of time on his side to adjust his game to match the demands of playing in English football.

Suffice to say, Wolves need more specialist options at the back and an up and coming centre-back like Pape Abou Cisse could benefit from playing alongside club-captain Conor Coady, who is already an accomplished defender in English football. 

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With that in mind, Wolves going back in the market for the Senegalese giant in January would make a lot of sense for a number of reasons.