Journalist Liam Keen has claimed that January signing Mario Lemina could become the next Wolves captain if Ruben Neves leaves the club in the summer.

What's the latest over the Wolves captaincy?

Current captain Neves has been a fine servant for the club, but looks set to depart with a year left on his deal and amid plenty of transfer speculation surrounding him.

This would open up the role to be handed elsewhere, but given how important Neves has been both on and off the pitch, it will not be an easy one to step into.

Speaking on the Express and Star Wolves podcast, Keen hinted that people within the club think Lemina has had enough of an impact to be considered for the role, despite only arriving in January.

He said: "I have spoken to a lot more people around the club and got a feel for the impact of some of these signings, and Lemina has had a really big impact.

"We spoke about Bentley and other players like that who have had a big impact in the dressing room just by not playing - Lemina's a big one. I don't think he played particularly well against Newcastle, but on the pitch, as a whole, he's done well. And off the pitch, I think there's a bit more maturity to him now.

"He's really liked around the squad, he's loud, big in the dressing room, big character, he's grown up a bit. So I think the timing for him to arrive at Wolves has been really good as well, so I think Lemina's a genuine option."

How has Lemina performed for Wolves?

The Gabonese midfielder arrived from Nice in January for around £9.7m after previous spells at Southampton and Juventus, and has settled quickly at Molineux.

The 29-year-old has started in seven of his eight appearances for Wolves, who have lost just three games with him in the side.

His qualities as a defensive midfielder have been evident, and he ranks highly for tackles, blocks and clearances, as per FBref.

He is already helping Wolves add quality to their midfield, which could be set for significant change in the summer window should the likes of Neves and Matheus Nunes depart, and he has brought positivity and experience to the dressing room.

Lemina is a candidate to take the armband despite his short time at the club so far, and given that longer-serving players such as Raul Jimenez and Joao Moutinho are perhaps less likely to be starting regularly next season, we agree that the timing of his arrival has been ideal for Wolves as they look to progress under Julen Lopetegui.