Wolverhampton Wanderers have approached a new dawn, with Julen Lopetegui in the early days of his managerial career at the club and looking to put his own sheen on the fold ahead of the January transfer market.
What’s the word?
One prospective acquisition who has been of interest to Wolves for some time is Racing Club’s Carlos Alcaraz, who, according to O Jogo (via Sport Witness), is being approached.
Should the Premier League outfit be successful in their pursuit of the 20-year-old, who Racing are touting for approximately €18m (£16m), they would wield a fantastic young talent to align with the club’s vision of sealing shrewd deals and nurturing such players towards stardom.
With SL Benfica also eyeing a swoop for the starlet, Lopetegui will need to act swiftly if he is to convince the ace to join a team looking to stave off relegation over a European outfit, although the allure of the Premier League and the exciting project in Wolverhampton might sway the fortunes.
“Gold”
Alcaraz is one of the hottest commodities in South America at present, scoring nine goals and registering two assists across 42 appearances for his club over the past season.
While Wolves boast a formidable central midfield partnership in Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho, the former has been at the heart of heavy transfer attention recently, and the latter is 36-years-old.
Alcaraz could adopt the robust role that is required in a Wolves team and a Lopetegui system, with his inclusion signifying a passing of the baton from a cohesive pairing that have become trademark names within the club’s core, following the return to the top-flight in 2019.
As per Sofascore, the "gold" Alcaraz - as lauded by journalist Alex de Llano - recorded an average rating of 6.83 across the 2022 Liga Profesional de Futbol season, demonstrating his offensive aptitude by unleashing 2.2 shots power match, making 0.8 key passes and completing 78% of his total passes, also chipping in with 1.1 tackles per showing.
It is this level of ubiquity that could pay dividends for a side currently languishing in the Premier League relegation zone, confined to 18th place after just three wins in the division all season - although Lopetegui did defeat Everton at Goodison Park in his recent debut match at the helm.
And according to talkSPORT, Wolves boss Jeff Shi walked away from a £17m deal to clinch the services of Enzo Fernandez in the summer, with the Argentine sensation earning the Best Young Player award on the way to clinching the gilt-covered World Cup trophy last month.
The hierarchy will inevitably kick themselves for failing to act on the signing of the prodigy, but might use it as ammunition to fuel a plunge towards another golden maestro that could serve as a focal point as the next chapter at the club commences.