Their own Kante: Pereira plotting Wolves move for £17m “midfield destroyer”
Wolverhampton Wanderers will be keen on strengthening their squad this summer in order to push into the top half of the Premier League table.
Vitor Pereira has done a wonderful job so far, but the pressure is now on next season to further improve.
It appears as though he has one eye on the upcoming transfer window. The question is, what areas of the squad will he be keen to bolster first?
Wolves’ search for a midfielder
According to Football Transfers, Wolves are reportedly plotting their first summer move by targeting Genoa midfielder Morten Frendrup.
The 24-year-old is also attracting plenty of interest from West Ham United, while Serie A sides Fiorentina and AC Milan are also keen on the player.
The Italian side could demand a transfer fee in the region of €20m (£17m), which would be a significant profit on the €4.4m (£3.7m) they paid for him back in 2021.
His reputation has grown in Italy over the previous 12 months, now emerging as one of the best ball-winners in the country. According to data analytics experts SciSports, Frendrup is ranked as the ninth-best holding midfielder worldwide.
Talent scout Jacek Kulig even compared the midfielder to N’Golo Kante. Could Wolves be landing their own version of the French maestro?
Martin Frendrup could be Wolves’ own N’Golo Kante
Kante became one of the best in the world in his position during his spells with Leicester City and Chelsea, having notably been dubbed “the best central midfielder in the world” by Stamford Bridge legend, Frank Lampard in 2017.
Kulig compared Frendrup to the former Blues star, saying: “Morten Frendrup reminds me of N’Golo Kanté. Big comparison, I know, but they share some of the same traits. They are both not the biggest and most intimidating midfielders, but they are both fast, great at reading the game, and they intercept almost everything.
“Both players are also good dribblers of the ball, and Kanté has evolved into a well-rounded midfielder with offensive abilities, which also could become the case with Frendrup.”
| 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 | ||
Indeed, it has become the case for the Genoa star, who is now a sought-after player and could sparkle in the Premier League.
Frendrup – dubbed a “midfield destroyer” by Kulig – recovers the ball 5.3 times per match in Serie A, while he also winning 5.1 total duels per game and averaging 3.1 tackles each game. Kante, meanwhile, was averaging 5.6 total duels and 3.6 tackles per game during his first season at Chelsea, for instance, in 2016/17.
When compared to his positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues, the Danish star currently ranks in the top 13% for both tackles (2.99) and interceptions (1.49) per 90 over the previous 365 days.
His ability to recover the ball throughout the pitch while being tenacious in his one-on-one battles means the midfielder could offer plenty in this current Wolves side.
Kante was an outstanding midfielder in his prime, able to not only control the game, but to win the ball back all over the pitch at will.
It appears as though Frendrup has similar sorts of traits and this could mean Wolves will be getting a bargain should they spend the £17m on him this summer.
