Wolverhampton Wanderers enjoyed a solid run of results over the festive period as they secured wins against Chelsea, Everton, and Brentford in the Premier League, while drawing against the Bees in the FA Cup third round last week.
Gary O’Neil will undoubtedly be delighted with this type of form, although he could soon face a dilemma regarding his attacking options.
Sasa Kalajzdic and Fabio Silva have both been sent out on loan to Eintracht Frankfurt and Glasgow Rangers respectively, while Hwang Hee-Chan is away on international duty, representing South Korea at the Asian Cup.
The former Bournemouth manager can now only call on Matheus Cunha to lead the line, and he must secure the services of another centre-forward during the January transfer window.
Hugo Ekitiké is a name that has been linked recently with a move to the Old Gold, yet he has only played eight minutes of football this season and may take time to adjust to the Premier League.
Could O’Neil perhaps sign someone who is currently in form this month? As Spanish striker, Borja Mayoral has emerged as a player of interest.
Latest on Wolves' hunt for a striker
According to TEAMtalk, Wolves are keeping tabs on Mayoral ahead of potentially making a move for him this month, but they aren’t the only English side keen on the centre-forward.
Arsenal and Crystal Palace are the other sides who are also monitoring the Getafe star and the report states that he could be available for just £20m, which could represent an excellent bargain.
Losing three strikers in the space of a few weeks suggests O’Neil will be desperate to bring in at least one attacker this month and a deal to sign Mayoral could be shrewd business, especially as he is an upgrade on Kalajdzic.
Borja Mayoral is a big upgrade on Sasa Kalajdzic
The Austrian striker suffered a season-ending knee injury during his very first match for Wolves in 2022, and he only returned for the first time at the beginning of the 2023/24 campaign.
The 26-year-old managed to play 13 matches for the Old Gold, scoring three goals in the process, yet he started only three times, and it was evident that O’Neil didn’t see him in any future plans, hence sending him out on loan for the remainder of the season.
Landing Mayoral would be a big coup and the Spaniard has enjoyed a far more productive season than the former Stuttgart striker.
Indeed, in their respective leagues this term, the current Getafe forward has not only scored more goals (12 vs two), but he has also registered more goal-creating actions per 90 (0.36 vs 0) and recorded more progressive carries (22 vs one) and it clearly shows who has been the more positive threat in the opposition third.
Mayoral has also registered more shots on target per game (1.1 vs 0.2) while averaging more key passes per game (0.8 vs 0.4) and succeeding with more successful dribble attempts per game (0.7 vs 0.1), which is yet more evidence of the Getafe hitman enjoying a far more productive season than Kalajdzic.
The £79k-per-week frontman is enjoying the most prolific spell of his career, and perhaps it shouldn’t come as a surprise he is starring for Getafe, especially considering he has received plenty of praise during his career, most notably from former Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane, who lauded him back in 2017 after an impressive display for the club:
“Mayoral is here with us and has a role to play, he’s shown that today. He was given a chance and he’s done a great job. Not just with his goal, he put in a complete performance.”
The former AS Roma ace has even outscored Hwang this season, and it could be interesting to see how the duo would play together should O’Neil secure his services this month.
How Borja Mayoral compares to Hwang Hee-Chan
The South Korean forward has been in sensational form this season for Wolves, scoring 11 goals and grabbing three assists across 21 matches, and losing him for the next three or four weeks could be devastating for the club.
Mayoral has found the back of the net on 14 occasions this term in all competitions while chipping in with an assist, and he has done this having played one more match than Hwang.
With 14 and 15 goal contributions respectively, there is not much between the two centre-forwards, but adding someone like Mayoral into his starting XI, potentially alongside Hwang, could give the Old Gold a jolt in the right direction.
According to WhoScored, the former Red Bull Salzburg forward excels at finishing – which would explain his excellent scoring record this season – while his style of play tends to incorporate a lot of dribbling, and he tends to be a regular threat on the counter-attack.
The Spaniard, on the other hand, excels at passing and headed attempts – evidenced by his four headed goals in La Liga this season – while his style of play tends to feature more long balls and between them, the duo could make for a profitable partnership for the Molineux side.
Mayoral has played for clubs such as Real Madrid and Roma during his career so far, winning the Champions League during his spell with the former in 2018 and he could bring an elite, winning mentality to the club.
The 26-year-old has scored 70 senior goals across 257 matches and this works out as a goal every 3.6 matches, a solid, if unspectacular ratio.
12
10
1
3
0.8
0.7
1.1
0.7
2
4
However, his frightening start to the 2023/24 season may indicate that he is becoming a more out-and-out goalscorer for his club and this should surely entice O’Neil to make a concrete move to sign him in the coming weeks.
Of course, the club will have to perhaps move on a player or two before bringing any new faces into Molineux, and this could be the only stumbling block with regard to signing Mayoral.
Signing a striker is a necessity rather than a desire for the manager, however, and this may just stand him in good stead as he looks for his first January signing.
