Why Wolves should move for Thomas Lemar to improve creativity
According to claims from French outlet Le 10 Sport (h/t Birmingham Live), Wolves have reignited their interest in out-of-favour Atletico Madrid star Thomas Lemar in a bid to bolster their attack before the summer deadline.
As per the report, the 24-year-old had been linked with a move to Molineux back in January but a move didn’t quite materialise back then, with Wolves signing Daniel Podence instead.
Lemar, though, has continued to be on Wolves’ radar and Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have now opened talks with Atletico over a potential deal for the Frenchman, who has close ties with super-agent Jorge Mendes. (Le 10 Sport h/t Birmingham Live)
Profile
Thomas Lemar rose through the youth ranks of Caen in France, making his professional debut in Ligue 2 during the 2013-14 season before catching the eye as an exciting prospect in the top-flight.
The versatile winger was snapped by giants Monaco in the summer of 2015 and Lemar eventually went on to establish himself as one of the best young players in Ligue 1. The 24-year-old played a key role as Monaco beat PSG to the Ligue 1 title in 2016-17 and made it all the way through to the semi-final of the Champions League.
Lemar bagged 22 goals and 33 assists in 127 appearances for Monaco in all competitions before completing a big-money move to Atletico Madrid in 2018. However, his time at the Wanda Metropolitano has been less than impressive, with the Frenchman managing just 3 goals and 6 assists in 72 outings.
The left-footed ace has been capped by France 22 times at the senior international level and represented his nation at the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Lemar could add more creativity to Wolves’ attack
It has been a busy transfer window for Wolves so far, with key players like Diogo Jota and Matt Doherty departing the club and the likes of Fabio Silva, Nelson Semedo, Ki-Jana Hoever, Fernando Marcal, and Vitor Ferreira coming through the door at Molineux.
The acquisition of Semedo from Barcelona should solve a major pressing concern for Nuno Santo at right wing-back following the departure of Doherty to Tottenham. However, Wolves would ideally need to find a replacement for Jota, who had been a key contributor with goals and assists for the Black County outfit over the past three seasons.
Raul Jimenez has continued to fire this season too after plundering 27 goals last term while Pedro Neto and Adama Traore remain the other key cogs in attack for Wolves.
Teenager Fabio Silva has been roped in to reduce the workload on Jimenez but it goes without saying that they need another top-quality creative midfielder to support 34-year-old Joao Moutinho.
Thomas Lemar, to that end, ticks plenty of boxes as just the ideal addition to Wolves’ attack. The Frenchman might not be a like-to-like replacement for Jota but his versatility to play in multiple positions in the attacking third should hand a significant boost to the club’s squad dynamics.
The 24-year-old might have struggled to deliver the goods in Spain but his glowing track record of goals and assists in the French top-flight coupled with his previous exploits in the Champions League should be enough to convince Wolves that he’s good enough to thrive in the Premier League.
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Verdict
It goes without saying that Wolves need more depth and quality in their attack to consolidate on their back-to-back 7th-place finishes in the top-flight and challenge for a return to Europe. Thomas Lemar remains a top-quality creative player with his best days ahead of him at 24, thus making him worthy of a significant investment for the Black County outfit.
