The main players for Wolverhampton Wanderers stood up for the count during the 2023–24 season.
Gary O’Neil’s team surprised many supporters and analysts who predicted their relegation, including BBC Sport’s top football writer Phil McNulty.
McNulty said before to the season that he had a “very, very worrying feeling” about Wolves, yet they were able to make it through with ease.
The season was far more comfortable for the Midlands team than many had anticipated thanks to their 14th-place finish. With 46 points, Wolves was only three points behind tenth-place Crystal Palace and 20 points clear of the basement.
They were also on the verge of finishing in the top half. This was mostly due to their star players’ performances. For O’Neil, players such as Matheus Cunha excelled.
Despite suffering an injury that sidelined him for several weeks, he still managed to score 14 goals and dish out eight assists. Hwang Hee-chan, a colleague of the Brazilian who has 13 goals to his credit, also made a contribution.
However, with the transfer window around the corner, Wolves could be in line to lose some of their key players, with one man already thought to be subject to interest from one Premier League club.
Wolves might lose an important player The player in question is Max Kilman, the captain of Wolves, who is drawing attention from a Premier League competitor of the Molineux club.
Following another strong season under O’Neill, there have been rumors of interest.
The Daily Mail journalist Tom Collomosse claims that West Ham United is one team that is rumored to be interested in signing Wolves’ captain.
If this transfer goes through, Kilman will be reunited with Julen Lopetegui, the man who recently succeeded David Moyes as Hammers manager and was Kilman’s manager at Molineux.
As Collomosse reports, it would take an offer of around £45m for Wolves to part ways with their talisman at the back.
The Hammers have shown prior interest in signing Kilman, and last season he was a player that they ‘followed closely’, before renewing their interest in him this summer.
It’s unclear if West Ham is the only team interested in signing Kilman.
The 27-year-old signed a new contract with Wolves during the summer window of 2023, extending his stay at Molineux for five years, after the club turned down offers from Italian powerhouse Napoli.
He might, however, be the topic of a transfer in summer if West Ham continues to put in effort.
Why Kilman would be a big loss
“One of the most underrated players” in the Premier League, according to football commentator H, Kilman was on X.
There’s no denying his significance to the Wolves. Throughout their whole 2023–24 Premier League season, he contributed to five clean sheets by playing every minute.
In the Second Round, Kilman played just 81 minutes out of 90, and he was rested only once in the Carabao Cup Third Round.
Kilman is among the top box defenders in all of Europe. Last season, the 27-year-old averaged 4.79 clearances and 1.68 blocks per ninety minutes, according to FBref. This places him among the top 14% and top 20% of European defenders.
However, he is also good on the ball and averages 0.45 key passes and 0.53 switches per 90, which rank him in the top 13% and 27% respectively.
Take those numbers with a pinch of salt, because Wolves are not a side who have a lot of possession, just 48.9% according to Sofascore, the 11th highest in the Premier League.
This means Kilman’s in-possession numbers could be lower than if he played in a side that dominated the ball.
If their captain were to leave, it could be a bigger blow for Wolves than losing Pedro Neto.
The electric Portuguese winger was superb last season, scoring twice and assisting nine times in just 20 Premier League games.
He was one of their key contributors last term, albeit while being hampered by injury.
For months, there have been growing rumors that Neto is leaving. TalkSPORT reported in February that he was linked to both Arsenal and Tottenham, while The Telegraph speculated in May that Manchester City and Newcastle may pay £60 million to sign him.
Rodrigo Gomes, a Braga native, is a possible successor for Neto that they have already signed. With Neto out of the picture, the 20-year-old, a promising right winger, might see a lot of playing time.
Kilman’s replacement won’t be as easy, though.
In addition to losing a top defender, Wolves would also lose their captain, a huge presence in the club who is described as “brilliant to have around and is a brilliant professional” by former colleague and skipper Conor Coady.
With his excellent box-defending skills and leadership, the in-demand player would be difficult to replace during the transfer window.
There would be a noticeable absence across the board if Kilman left Wolves this summer.
Losing the captain and important player in the back is not a good situation, even though they might need the money to help bolster their squad.
Wolves will surely want to emerge from this intriguing transfer story on the other side smiling.
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