Shropshire Star

Dave Edwards: Julen Lopetegui and Wolves can be a big draw this window

We all knew this was going to be a huge January transfer window for Wolves and Julen Lopetegui, and the rumourmill, has started to crank into action.

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I was always interested to see what type of players he would be able to attract.

Wolves are bottom of the Premier League midway through the season, they need to make additions – and good additions – but which European-based players are going to want to come over and be part of it?

I believe the head coach will play a big part in enticing players. There is a project on at Wolves and I think, if it gets through this season, it can be really successful.

Even top players will see this as a really good opportunity to ride the wave of a club hopefully going places.

The finances will be good, from their personal point of view, but they will see it as a place to definitely play and get minutes.

Links to the two Atletico Madrid players look really encouraging for Wolves fans that the project Lopetegui is taking on has got the pull to bring in players of a certain calibre.

Striker Matheus Cunha was linked with Manchester United in the summer, talks of a 30million or 40m euros fee were mentioned.

From the clips I’ve seen of him over the weekend, he’s a very athletic forward player. We know we need to strengthen in that position. He seems to be someone who drive at players, he looks a good size physically. Cunha’s fellow Brazilian Felipe, an experienced defender, also appears to be subject of Wolves’ interest.

We’ve only got Max Kilman and Nathan Collins as senior defenders, before you look at Toti and Mosquera, it’s definitely an area that needs improvement.

The new head coach played a three-man defence in the Arsenal game before the break, it may be a system he thinks can make Wolves more solid for now and help pick up points.

It seems crazy we had two centre- backs here at Wolves last season who are still at the World Cup in Conor Coady and Romain Saiss! We’re looking around for a new one, which feels strange.

The type of players we have seen reported show Wolves and Lopetegui can pull in players perhaps above what many thought they would be capable of getting at this stage taking in their position and fortunes this season.

Those are the two areas I believe Wolves should be focusing on when the window opens in the new year.

There are a host of other forward players who can play wide, or as a second striker. Boubacar Traore’s addition has set Wolves up well in midfield too, he brings dynamism.

Young Huge Bueno taking left wing-back by storm has really helped bolster the options in the wing-back roles.

I’m hopeful Raul Jimenez, after having some minutes in the World Cup, will come back in better shape. But even if he does we still need more options.

It’s about not just improving the squad, but the XI, and starting to be more effective.

To me it is imperative a striker comes in and is fit and available for the starting XI from the first minute.

Raul Jimenez may be coming back but the front two against Arsenal was Goncalo Guedes and Adama Traore, no recognised striker.

Without quite being do-or-die, to get the right man in up front, a successful addition will no doubt play a huge part in getting the side out of the situation they are in.