Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in signing Stoke City defender Harry Souttar in this month's transfer window and the Australia international could be a big upgrade on Nathan Collins in Julen Lopetegui's side.

According to TEAMtalk, both Wolves and West Ham are keen on adding the 24-year-old to their ranks this month, after the centre-back caught the eye with Australia at the World Cup in Qatar.

Meanwhile, The Sun believe that the Potters had put a £25m price tag on his signature after his recent international exploits.

In a recent interview with Football FanCast, journalist Pete O'Rourke shared his thoughts on a possible Wolves move for the Scottish-born defender in the transfer window.

He said:

"He's a big strong central defender who is dominant in both boxes as well, so I think he'd be a good fit for Wolves."

Since returning from a serious ACL injury, Souttar has been a mainstay for both club and country, first starring at the World Cup as Graham Arnold's side reached the round of 16 before featuring regularly for the Potters in recent fixtures.

If we compare Souttar's form this season to that of Collins, it seems clear that the Scottish-born defender could be a better option for Lopetegui in the second half of the Premier League campaign.

He has a better overall average rating (6.68 vs 6.59), while he has also averaged more tackles (1.6 vs 1.3), clearances (seven vs 4.2) and aerials won (four vs 1.4), which suggests that he could be a big addition at the back as the Old Gold look to rediscover the defensive form that saw them keep so many clean sheets in the first half of the last campaign.

While he has struggled with his passing in the Championship, he showed his ability on the ball at the World Cup, averaging a respectable 82.6% pass accuracy in Qatar, where he was also lauded as an "absolute beast" by A-League producer Sacha Pisani.

The six-foot-six defender would also add a serious threat for Wolves from set pieces, while his experience and performances at the World Cup will no doubt make him an attractive proposition for a number of Premier League clubs this month, so Lopetegui should make sure that Wolves win the race for him.

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At 21, Collins arguably lacks the necessary experience for a relegation battle and given the lack of centre-backs currently at Wolves' disposal, the Old Gold should definitely look at signing Souttar in this month's window.