In Bruno Lage's first season as Wolves manager since replacing Nuno Espirito Santo back in the summer, the Old Gold are currently well in the race to secure European football with a total of 12 wins, four draws and eight defeats under their belt in 24 games played.

One impressive factor of Wolves' season so far is their defensive record, having conceded just 18 goals, leaving only league leaders Manchester City with a better record.

With that in mind, one player that has contributed a lot to Wolves' impressive defensive record this season is Romain Saiss.

The Moroccan has started all but two of their league games this term, only missing fixtures with Southampton and Brentford as a result of AFCON, which shows just how important he's been for Lage in 2021/22.

With Wolves conceding in both games that he missed last month and keeping three consecutive clean sheets before he jetted off for international duty, it suggests that the Old Gold's defence was undoubtedly weakened due to his absence.

The 31-year-old's performances this season have also shown just how valuable he is to Lage's side with WhoScored giving him an overall rating of 7.02/10, making him Wolves' third-highest rated player.

From a defensive point of view, the £28k-per-week Morocco international has managed to win a total of 56 aerial duels, 44 interceptions and 26 tackles, highlighting how much of a defensive unit he has been in this campaign and how much he has contributed at the back.

Having been likened to former AC Milan defender Paolo Maldini by people at the club according to Lage, Saiss' current contract at Molineux is due to expire at the end of the season.

Taking into account his impressive performances this campaign, the defender has certainly put himself in the frame for the club to offer him a new deal given how valuable he has proven himself to be.

Moving forward, if the defender can keep up the same level of performance he has done throughout the season to date, the Midlands club should definitely see if he would be willing to continue his career in a Wolves shirt and sign a new contract.

In other news: Forget Traore: Fosun heading for unforgivable Wolves howler, Lage would be furious - opinion