Wolverhampton Wanderers are said to be keen on signing Burnley and Republic of Ireland defender, Nathan Collins.

That is according to Alan Nixon who claims that Wolves are now offering Collins an instant return to the top-flight, after his impressive performances as a regular.

It is said that Burnley value the 21-year-old around the £40m mark and Wolves are not alone in their interest for the Irishman, with the likes of Newcastle United and Leeds United also said to be vying for his signature this summer.

Imagine him and Coady

With Wolves ever keen on the signing of Collins, the narrative around a potential modern, yet throwback partnership between the 21-year-old and Conor Coady is slowly but surely forming.

Whilst technical ability is clearly there in both defenders, they have an archaic feel around their defensive style - a tough, yet elegant approach in what seems to a hybrid between old-fashioned defenders, fused with the modern expectations of a ball-playing centre-back.

It's a partnership that could elevate Wolves to that next level, and as well as future-proofing what was the tenth oldest squad in comparison to the rest of the Premier League in the season just gone.

Described as a "brick wall" by Jamie O'Hara, Collins does the basics extremely well, and considering his more physical adaptation of an archaic approach, he offers a quality option as an asset who can play in both a back-four or back-three, having done so for Stoke City just two seasons prior.

His numbers are unique considering his position, having averaged 0.92 shot-creating actions per game, whilst maintaining defensive solidity with his 2.59 blocks and 5.50 clearances per 90 minutes.

Despite relegation with Burnley last season, he enjoyed a positive campaign on a personal level and proved his worth in the Premier League.

As a result, he'd be a shrewd acquisition for the Old Gold, and one that could form a reliable and formidable partnership alongside the skipper in Coady.

In other news: Lage could land Wolves their very own Cancelo by signing "unique" £30m machine