Wolverhampton Wanderers could land themselves a major upgrade to their central midfield this summer with reports emerging from Italy suggesting they are very much still in the hunt for one of their long-term targets.

According to Calciomercato, AC Milan powerhouse Franck Kessie is being monitored by both the west Midlands outfit as well as Premier League strugglers West Ham.

Nuno Santo's side were linked to the 23-year-old in the summer, and again ahead of the January transfer window, so it's about time they clinched him ahead of next season.

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The 39-cap Ivory Coast international is exactly the sort of defensive midfielder that the Old Gold are crying out for, especially because it will allow Ruben Neves freedom further up the pitch where we know he has an eye for goal.

Kessie is averaging 1.7 tackles, 1.6 long balls and one key pass per game in the Serie A this campaign whilst a questionable 1.7 fouls each match merely suggests he isn't someone to be messed with, via WhoScored.

When signing for Milan, Bleacher Report described him as "an attentive marker with sound positioning in the defensive phase, he also brings pace, directness and penetrative passing to attack." - this only bolsters the claim to signing him.

Neves has regressed in an attacking sense this season as his expected goals (xG) per 90 minutes has halved from 0.1 to 0.05, which is no surprise given that he is managing fewer shots at goal per match, too. That has decreased from 2.21 to just 1.8 in the Premier League, as per Understat.

The Portuguese favourite scored four goals and provided three assists in the English top-flight during the 2018/19 season and has managed just half that this season, so he could certainly do with being played further forward and the arrival of Kessie would allow that to come to fruition.

Think of the sort of influence both Neves and even Joao Moutinho can have behind leading talisman Raul Jimenez with a proper defensive brute in the side. Kessie is the perfect foil to upgrading Wolves onto a new level.

Fosun simply must sanction a move for the £22.5m-rated enforcer.

AND in other news, Conor Coady the one thing that annoys Nuno Santo...