This article is part of Football FanCast’s Transfer Focus series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent transfer news…
According to the Daily Mail, Wolverhampton Wanderers are taking a close look at Royal Antwerp right-back Aurelio Buta ahead of a potential £5m January move.
And it could spell bad things for Wolves regular Matt Doherty.
What’s the word?
Reports suggest the 22-year-old is being watched by two Premier League clubs with Watford being the other.
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It is believed that Nuno Santo is keen to bolster his defence as they continue to try and balance European exploits with continued domestic success.
The Mail claims Buta is noted for his ‘pace’ and his ability to push forward and provide crosses, which makes him seem like an ideal candidate to play at wing-back under the Portuguese boss.
He is also a Portugal U20 international and was once on the books of Benfica, so given Wolves’ history with the country, he could well be a plausible target.
Doc departure?
If the reports are indeed accurate, then it surely means that Doherty’s time is running thin on the ground at Molineux.
The 27-year-old has been at the club for nearly a decade now, but his performances this season have been blighted by injuries and inconsistencies, which is potentially why Nuno is looking for additions on the right-hand side of the defence.
At the start of the campaign, Adama Traore was utilised in the role, but in recent games, his more natural forward position has paid dividends with the Spaniard scoring a brace against Premier League champions Manchester City.
Doherty’s performances are down from last year as he is recording fewer tackles, interceptions, and clearances, per WhoScored.
While he is yet to even register a single cross in nine top-flight appearances, which is something that Buta would provide the team with, as mentioned in the above report.
It would be a sad end to a player who has featured 266 times in the old gold – but ultimately, Wolves are a different animal these days, having tasted European competition for the first time in over 40 years.
