Barry Douglas may have spent just one season at Wolverhampton Wanderers but it was a hugely successful one at Molineux.
Adored by supporters for his rampaging displays from full-back, the Scot was part of the formidable team that secured promotion from the Championship under Nuno Santo.
It was rather baffling that he wasn’t given a chance to prove himself in the Premier League.
The moment the Old Gold went up, the defender was told that he wasn’t going to form part of their plans. It was a sad moment for Douglas who had provided so much for Nuno.
During the course of the 2017/18 campaign, he scored five goals and provided a whopping 15 assists, 14 of which came in the league.
One of the greatest assets Douglas had in his locker was his set-piece delivery. Curling balls in from various parts of the pitch, the club’s set plays were one of their biggest weapons during that promotion-winning campaign.
However, since Douglas left, they’ve struggled to find a true replacement.
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Jonny has arguably been the most consistent figure on the left-hand side of defence but after suffering from back to back ACL injuries in 2020/21, he is no longer an option for the time being.
Marcal has suffered from his own injuries while Ruben Vinagre spent last season on loan. The future for Rayan Ait-Nouri is also unclear following his loan spell.
That being said, Bruno Lage could finally discover their new Douglas with a move for Rangers full-back Borna Barisic.
Reportedly valued at £22m over the last year, the Croatian is a target for Wolves during the summer transfer window. Football Insider claims the Old Gold are battling Arsenal and Aston Villa to sign him.
Another deadly weapon from set-pieces, Barisic has everything in his locker that Douglas successfully brought to the Midlands.
After scoring from a free-kick last season, Gers boss Steven Gerrard described the defender as “magic.”
During the 2020/21 campaign, the 28-year-old provided four goals and 14 assists. That’s strikingly similar to the tally that Douglas amassed three to four years ago.
In the prime of his career, this would be a smart first signing from Lage as he rebuilds the team for next season. With Jonny still out, they could certainly do with another option at left-back.