Their own Kante: Pereira plotting Wolves move for £17m “midfield destroyer”
To push into the top half of the Premier League table, Wolverhampton Wanderers will be eager to bolster their roster this summer.
Although Vitor Pereira has performed admirably thus far, the pressure is now on him to further improve next season.
It seems as though he has one eye on the upcoming transfer window, but what areas of the squad will he be most eager to bolster first?
Football Transfers reports that Wolves are planning their first summer move by aiming to sign Genoa midfielder Morten Frendrup.
The 24-year-old is also drawing plenty of interest from West Ham United, while Serie A teams Fiorentina and AC Milan are also eager on the midfielder.
The Italian side could expect a transfer fee in the region of €20m (£17m), which would be a big profit on the €4.4m (£3.7m) they paid for him back in 2021.
Over the past 12 months, he has gained more recognition in Italy and is now regarded as one of the top ball-winners in the nation. Frendrup is rated as the ninth-best holding midfield player in the world by data analytics firm SciSports.
Jacek Kulig, a talent scout, even likened the midfield player to N’Golo Kante. Would Wolves be able to acquire a copy of the French maestro?
The Genoa star, who is now in high demand and has the potential to excel in the Premier League, is one example of this.
Frendrup, who Kulig refers to as a “midfield destroyer,” averages 3.1 tackles per game, wins 5.1 total duels each game, and recovers the ball 5.3 times per game in Serie A. In contrast, Kante averaged 3.6 tackles per game and 5.6 total duels in his debut season at Chelsea, for example, in 2016–17.
The Danish player now ranks in the top 13% for both tackles (2.99) and interceptions (1.49), per 90 over the last 365 days, when compared to his positional rivals throughout Europe’s top five leagues.
| Morten Frendrup in Serie A since August 2023 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Metric (per90) | 2023/24 | 2024/25 |
| Tackles | 3.6 | 3.1 |
| Ball recoveries | 5.3 | 5.3 |
| Accurate passes | 26 | 30.2 |
| Interceptions | 1.4 | 1.4 |
| Total duels won | 5.8 | 5.2 |
| Via Sofascore | ||
The Genoa star, who is now in high demand and has the potential to excel in the Premier League, is one example of this.
Frendrup, who Kulig refers to as a “midfield destroyer,” averages 3.1 tackles per game, wins 5.1 total duels each game, and recovers the ball 5.3 times per game in Serie A. In contrast, Kante averaged 3.6 tackles per game and 5.6 total duels in his debut season at Chelsea, for example, in 2016–17.
The Danish player now ranks in the top 13% for both tackles (2.99) and interceptions (1.49), per 90 over the last 365 days, when compared to his positional rivals throughout Europe’s top five leagues.
The midfielder might contribute significantly to this Wolves team given his ability to recover the ball throughout the pitch and his perseverance in one-on-one conflicts.
In his heyday, Kante was a superb midfield player who could win the ball back anywhere on the field and control the game.
Frendrup seems to share some of the same characteristics, so if Wolves decide to spend the £17 million on him this summer, they might be getting a good deal.
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