Wolverhampton Wanderers returned to winning ways against Burnley in the Premier League on Tuesday, as a single goal from Hwang Hee-chan ensured the club took all three points and this result will give them a massive confidence boost heading into the festive season.
With ties against the likes of Nottingham Forest, Brentford, and Everton to come before the end of December, Gary O’Neil could take his side closer to a top-half finish with a few more wins.
His squad is ticking over quite nicely at the moment, and they have managed to secure big wins against Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur recently.
One of the main strengths has been their ruthlessness in attack, as players such as Matheus Cunha and Hwang have both been in excellent form, scoring four and nine goals respectively as they lead the scoring charts at the club.
While the 40-year-old will be pleased he has two strikers who are in form approaching a hectic spell, if one gets injured, this may cause some problems.
With this in mind, O’Neil could certainly turn to the January transfer window in order to sign another centre-forward, and it looks as though he has someone who is currently starring in the Bundesliga on his radar – Serhou Guirassy.
Wolves transfer news – Serhou Guirassy
At the beginning of December, 90min claimed that the representatives of the Stuttgart striker were confident they could secure him a move to the Premier League in the upcoming transfer window.
There have been scouts sent by clubs such as Crystal Palace, West Ham United and Brentford to monitor his performances, while he has even been linked with a move to Manchester United.
Wolves have also been mentioned as a club who have shown interest in the forward, alongside Arsenal, Everton and Spurs, and it appears as though the Old Gold will have a major fight on their hands to secure his signature.
He could be available for a fee of around £15m as this is his reported release clause, and it could prove to be a solid bargain, especially if he can continue his recent breathtaking form.
While Cunha has been impressive this term, there is no doubt that Guirassy could be a big upgrade on the Brazilian if he does secure a move to the Midlands.
Comparing Serhou Guirassy to Matheus Cunha
The 24-year-old moved to Wolves on a loan deal last December and there was an obligation to buy clause inserted into the deal. The club didn’t take long to activate this, making the move permanent in January.
He currently ranks second in the squad for goals in the league (four), while Cunha also ranks second for big chances created (four) and first for shots on target per game (1.1), showing how effective he has been in front of goal.
When compared to his positional peers over the previous 12 months, however, the Brazilian fails to rank in the top 50% for shot-creating actions per 90 (2.29) and for touches in the attacking penalty area per 90 (4.21), indicating that he needs to be much more consistent.
For Stuttgart in the Bundesliga this term, Guirassy ranks first among the team for goals scored (16), shots on target per game (1.9) and second for big chances created (five), showcasing better numbers than Cunha.
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Not only that, but when compared to his positional peers, the 27-year-old ranks in the top 13% for both shot-creating actions (3.21) and touches in the attacking penalty area (6.1) per 90, again, much better statistics than what Cunha has achieved in the same period.
This suggests that O’Neil could perhaps secure an upgrade on the former Atlético Madrid frontman by making a concrete move for the Guinean hitman, and he has the required skillset to thrive in the Premier League.
4
16
3
1
1.1
1.9
2.2
0.5
4
5
Not content with being an upgrade on Cunha, Guirassy is similar in style to Harry Kane and this could be another bonus for the manager heading into the second half of the season.
Serhou Guirassy is similar to Harry Kane
Both players find themselves battling it out at the top of the Bundesliga scoring charts this season and the Stuttgart striker is currently trailing Kane by only two goals and the winner will surely come from one of these men.
The Englishman has enjoyed a wonderful start to life in Germany and, while some doubted whether he could sparkle at Bayern, his performances are proving a lot of people wrong, and he is arguably one of the best strikers in the world at this moment in time.
According to FBref, Kane is the second-most comparable player to the 27-year-old and, given his stature in the world of football and his ruthlessness in front of goal, it certainly isn’t a bad comparison to have.
Indeed, the duo have registered similar statistics this season with regard to goal contributions (23 vs 17), shots on target per 90 (both 2.06), shot-creating actions per 90 (3.9 vs 3.01) and touches in the attacking penalty area (66 vs 62), demonstrating how similar the players are to each other.
It is clear that the duo have showcased their respective talents in front of goal on a regular occurrence during the current season and while Kane may be a tad too expensive for Wolves, Guirassy is not.
The next few weeks could be an interesting time for the Molineux faithful as they will be hoping O’Neil can not only lead his side to another few important league wins, but also begin to make more concrete offers for his January transfer targets.
Adding another goalscorer to his squad would be a shrewd move, especially as one of Hwang or Cunha could go off the boil at any time.
Guirassy may be a late bloomer, but he is certainly making up for that and with 57 goals scored since the start of the 2020/21 campaign, the "ice-cold" finisher – as hailed by teammate Denis Undav – will no doubt be able to add to that tally should he arrive in England next month.
