Wolverhampton Wanderers will look forward to their summer break as the testing Premier League season begins to come to a close.
There will be little rest for boss Julen Lopetegui, who will have his mind firmly set on the transfer window, in his first full window since joining the club in November.
The Spaniard will have the chance to improve his squad to his liking after inheriting the work from Bruno Lage, who was dismissed back in October.
With Wolves being the lowest scorers in the Premier League, transfer news regarding incomings is expected to be dominated by forwards, while the expected departure of Ruben Neves takes centre stage for outgoings.
The summer window is a free-for-all for all clubs to flex their finances and sweep up the hottest prospects in Europe and beyond, however, Lopetegui may not need to look further than his academy in some areas for exciting talent ahead of next season, notably Harvey Griffiths.
Who is Harvey Griffiths?
In 2021, Wolves captured the deadline day signing of U18 star Harvey Griffiths from Manchester City’s academy.
The versatile defensive midfielder has featured 19 times in Premier League 2 for the Midlands side this campaign and has undergone an impressive term sparking ideas that he could be an option for Lopetegui to integrate into the senior squad next season.
On his signing for the club, ex-Wolves Technical Director Scott Sellars was full of praise for the starlet, saying to the club’s official site:
“He’s a great footballer, who also has a physical presence, so we’re delighted.
"He’s had a very good football education and played with some great young players, and now he wants to see if he can get an opportunity to really break through.
"We’ve got an excellent young talent.”
Despite lining up as a defensive option in the midfield, the youngster has contributed to seven goals in the league this season, scoring four and assisting three showing his ability in both areas in the middle of the park.
The 19-year-old was lauded as a “terrific footballer” with “something about him” by U21’s coach James Collins following his debut, and two years down the line, the Englishman has a real chance to break into Lopetegui’s squad.
With Mario Lemina impressing in defensive areas for Wolves currently, notably making 2.1 tackles per game (3rd highest at Molineux), the Gabon international could be a player for Griffiths to mould his game around, with the Wolves star certainly the benchmark for what is expected in the role.
The youngster arguably has more attacking flair than the 29-year-old, shown through his higher number of goals and assists from the deep position, which would give Lopetegui a potential option for variation depending on competition and opposition next season.
With several names returning from loans in the summer, on top of the talent already cooking in the academy, the Spaniard should take time to consider his internal options to improve his squad in certain areas.