Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly interested in Boca Juniors midfielder Cristian Medina, as Julen Lopetegui aims to bolster his side ahead of his first full season in charge at Molineux.
Wolves will have to spend on a budget this summer, however, the Spaniard is expected to have a busy transfer window with both outgoings and incomings speculated.
Having bid farewell to captain Ruben Neves, who has departed to Saudi Arabia to join Al Hilal, the Old Gold must recruit reinforcements to ease the woes of missing their star man in midfield, which is something Lopetegui could do in signing Medina.
What’s the latest on Cristian Medina to Wolves?
As reported by journalist David Ferris, Wolves alongside Fulham and Santos are interested in the Boca Juniors sensation.
The report states that just ‘consultations’ have taken place with ‘nothing formal’ reported, adding that the player is ‘attracting attention’ from Europe.
Football Transfers estimate the player to be worth around £3m, making him an affordable option for Wolves.
Who is Wolves target Cristian Medina?
Hailed as “intelligent” by scout Diego Mazzilli, the 21-year-old has asserted himself as being one of Boca’s shining and most important talents.
Mazzilli highlighted the youngsters’ talents, saying: “He knows when to take just one touch or when he can start carrying the ball vertically to break the lines of the opposition.
"He takes good care of the ball and has a very good varied passing range.”
The attributes raised by a former scout of the player suggest that Wolves could find in Medina the perfect heir to their departed skipper.
Neves was an influential figure at Molineux throughout his 6-year stay in the Midlands, scoring 30 goals and recording 13 assists in all competitions from midfield.
The Portuguese gem was integral to Wolves’ creativity, however, his presence is certainly not irreplaceable, with Medina posing to potentially be the ideal successor for Lopetegui’s side.
As highlighted by his season heatmap below (via Sofascore), the 21-year-old is a live wire in midfield, covering ground all over the pitch in order to contribute to proceedings.
Similarly to Neves, the Buenos Aires-born gem doesn’t fear getting stuck in, despite being a predominantly attack-minded individual, as highlighted by his average of 1.3 tackles per game in the Liga Profesional de Futbol campaign.
With a pass accuracy rate of 84% in the 2022/23 Premier League, the former Wolves skipper an assured figure that Molineux will miss in the middle of the park, however, the numbers show that Medina actually betters the passing exploits of the 26-year-old.
Maintaining a 90% passing accuracy rate, the Argentine has been lauded as being “key” for Boca by journalist Leandro Aguilera adding that the 21-year-old displays a “good level” in “every game” he plays for the club.
The youngster's confidence on the ball goes beyond his impressive level of distribution, averaging a successful dribble rate of 72% recording an average of 1.3 per game, via Sofascore.
Lopetegui could uncover a gem from South America in Medina, an individual that could play an integral part in filling the boots of Neves for a potential price too good for Wolves to ignore.