Wolverhampton Wanderers have reportedly reignited their January interest in a La Liga ace, as Julen Lopetegui prepares for his first summer in charge at Molineux.
Despite the link, it’s expected to be a tough transfer window for the Spaniard following the emergence of the club’s FFP woes, however, the latest target could be one to bolster the side with little financial burden.
What’s the latest on David Garcia to Wolves?
As reported by Spanish outlet AS yesterday (via Sport Witness), Wolves are part of the chase to sign Osasuna centre-back David Garcia.
The report states that ‘several’ English clubs seek the Spaniard, suggesting that ‘especially Wolves’ are interested in his talents this summer.
AS add that the Midlands club were interested in the defender in January, and had ‘already tempted’ the 29-year-old who has a release clause of €20m (£17m).
What could David Garcia bring to Wolves?
Hailed as “commanding and excellent” by journalist Josh Bunting, Garcia has had a solid season in La Liga, as supported by his average Sofascore match rating of 6.93, ranking him in the top three of Osasuna’s best performers.
The 29-year-old has contributed to eight clean sheets this campaign, acting as a strong presence in defence as shown by winning 59% of his total duels in La Liga with an average of 4.3 per game, via Sofascore.
Wolves have had a more testing season than Los Rojillos, who finished seventh in the Spanish top-tier, with their biggest achievement of the term confirming their survival after sitting rock bottom of the Premier League on Christmas day.
Lopetegui will opt for reinforcements this summer on a tight budget, and for £17m, the former Real Madrid boss could get a bargain in Garcia.
With a lot of speculation regarding the future of centre-back Max Kilman who is reportedly on the radar of Tottenham, Molineux could land themselves an upgrade on the Englishman in the Pamplona-born gem.
As per FBref, the Spaniard has performed better than the 26-year-old over the past year, averaging a higher rate per 90 in most defensive areas.
The Osasuna ace averages a huge 5.07 clearances and 1.14 tackles per 90, as well as 1.51 interceptions and 2.82 aerials, proving himself to be an assured figure in the box at 6 feet tall.
The Wolves central defender falls short of the Spaniard, averaging 4.46 clearances, 2.34 aerials, 0.98 tackles and just 0.52 interceptions, via FBref, suggesting that the 29-year-old could be an upgrade should he opt to depart this summer.
Another area that Garcia could benefit Lopetegui in is his average of 3.53 progressive passes per 90, with the Spanish coach identified to want his team to ‘play out from the back’, as noted by Adam Scully at Total Football Analysis.
Molineux could land themselves a gem this summer for a slim price considering his talents, however with a swarm of clubs following the centre-back, only time will tell if Wolves can get their man.
