Why Wolves should sign Salomon Rondon
According to The Sun (h/t Birmingham Live), Wolves have been linked with a surprise move for Salomon Rondon. Wolves have been on the lookout for a temporary striker signing after Raul Jimenez suffered a fractured skull against Arsenal. The striker has undergone surgery and is currently doing well.
Profile
Salomon Rondon is a 31-year-old Venezuelan forward who plays for Chinese Super League club Dalian Professional. He started his youth career at San Jose de Calasanz in 1996 before moving to Deportivo Gulima after eight years. Finally, he settled in at Aragua FC in 2005 and started playing for their youth sides.
After three years at the club, he made the switch to Spanish outfit UD Las Palmas. In 47 appearances for them, he scored 12 goals. Two seasons later, he moved to fellow La Liga side Malaga. 72 appearances and 27 goals later, he moved to Russia, joining Rubin Kazan in 2012. He had a prolific spell there but was again on the move within a season and a half to Zenit St. Petersburg.
A similar spell followed before West Brom signed him in 2015. This was his longest stint at any of the clubs he has played for so far. His stats for West Brom read as 120 games, 28 goals and 10 assists (h/t Transfermarkt). He was loaned out to Newcastle in 2018 and on his return, he was sold to Dalian Pro last season. A veteran of the national team, he has 83 caps and 31 goals to his name for Venezuela.
Rondon can be the perfect short term replacement for Jimenez
Ever since Wolves made their bow in the Premier League, Raul Jimenez has been an integral part of the side. The striker has almost single-handedly carried the goalscoring responsibilities for over two years. Wolves did manage to get in another striker in the form of Fabio Silva for a club record £35million.
While Silva may come good in time, Wolves now need an experienced option in the striking department. Wolves’ interest in Salomon Rondon is justified because he can be a decent short-term solution to their problem. Even Manchester United went for a similar deal with Odion Ighalo last January when their strikers were injured.
Rondon was quite prolific during his spell at St. James Park. In 33 games, he scored 12 and assisted 7. More than anything, he provided a strong presence at the top of the attack with his strength and hold-up play. And he has continued impressing in China, racking up 14 goals in 26 appearances so far.
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Rondon is a proven quantity in the Premier League and has tasted success at Newcastle and West Brom in the past. With Jimenez on his way to recovery and Fabio Silva still getting to grips with the side, Rondon would be the perfect player for Wolves to pursue, maybe on a short-terms basis.
