Wolves may already have a perfect Kilman heir in “versatile” as a replacement for their Head Coach and Striker
Gary O’Neil’s star defender is attracting interest from a Premier League rival
Wolverhampton Wanderers are preparing for their second season under Gary O’Neil’s tutelage and will look to make several improvements to the squad while preventing the sharks from stealing their prized assets.
There were genuine concerns that Molineux would suffer a damaging relegation after Julen Lopetegui departed last August, though, despite some high-profile sales, Wolves have shrewdly navigated the 2023/24 campaign to secure a comfortable Premier League finish.
But Lopetegui has recently been announced as West Ham United’s new manager, and he knows Molineux well. The Spaniard is aware that he needs to shore up the Hammers’ defence and is preparing to launch a bid for Max Kilman if reports are to be believed.
Max Kilman’s season in numbers
According to The Sun, Lopetegui is prepared to push West Ham toward signing Kilman this summer, with the London club holding a long-term interest in the 27-year-old, who Wolves are expected to demand £45m for.
Kilman joined the club from non-league side Maidenhead for a paltry £40,000 back in 2018 and has risen through the ranks to cement a starring spot in the Wolves team, completing 151 appearances.
Wolves will be determined to keep hold of their star defender, who played every minute of the Premier League season and has been described as a “monster” by presenter Tom Parker.
The centre-half – who can also perform at full-back – averaged 4.7 clearances and ball recoveries per game in the league, as per Sofascore, and won a whopping 73% of his aerial battles, so replacing him will certainly not be easy, but O’Neil might find the perfect successor in teenage talent Temple Ojinnaka…
Why Temple Ojinnaka could star for Wolves
Ojinnaka has only just turned 19 but he has gone from strength to strength in the Old Gold Academy, breaking into the U21s with constancy this term after predominantly featuring for the U18s last year.
Jon Hunter-Barrett, Wolves’ academy manager, has been one of Ojinnaka’s most vocal supporters, citing his positional flexibility as one of the key reasons that he will flourish on the senior stage after the teenager penned his first professional contract in 2023.
Ojinnaka might not be a name known to many at the moment but he is certainly on O’Neil’s radar, having already been handed a place in Wolves’ matchday squad in the Premier League, serving as an unused substitute during April’s 2-0 home defeat against Arsenal.
Moreover, he has played every minute of Wolves U21s’ last six games in the Premier League 2, alternating between central defence and out wide, highlighting that versatility that could make him such a valuable player for O’Neil next season and beyond.
