Wolves complete late signing of midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde

Wolves then flew officials out to France to meet Bellegarde and complete the deal in time before the 11pm deadline, as he signed a five-year contract.

The midfielder completed a medical and signed his contract, as Wolves wrapped up the transfer as a direct replacement for Matheus Nunes, who left for Manchester City in a £53million deal.

Similar to Nunes, Bellegarde can play in centre midfield or out wide and is an attacking and creative force.

The 25-year-old has two goals and two assists in just three Ligue 1 games for Strasbourg this season, but has now joined Wolves to bolster Gary O'Neil's options.

Sporting director Matt Hobbs said: “He’s a player the recruitment team flagged towards the end of last season, and he’s started this season very well. He’s athletic, technical and has ability to drive with the ball, and you can see from his goal and assist record that he’s had an excellent start to this season.

“He’s another player who adds to our depth and gives us something different. He will add creativity and he’s got good end product. With the runners that we have going forward, his athleticism from the middle of the pitch, as well as his strength and his ability to find that final ball – as he’s shown in France – will be really important to us.

“He’s another player who adds to us, adds to our depth, and probably gives us something different that we’ve lost with Nunes going.

“He can play in three positions in our system, which is what Gary likes to do. He will add creativity and he’s got good end product.

“I’ve talked before about the recruitment team having players for every position, that’s their job, to find these players and monitor them, but he is one that was right there for if Nunes left of a similar profile. I’m not saying he’s like Nunes, he’s his own player, but he was one that they had at the top of their list that we’d be looking to add."