Journalist identifies potential Wolves transfer mistake on Championship star | OneFootball

Wolverhampton Wanderers may have made a mistake by not recruiting Bristol City midfielder Alex Scott during the January transfer window with his price tag likely to have risen since then, according to journalist Dean Jones who spoke to Give Me Sport.

The 19-year-old has been a consistent figure for the Robins all season - but interest in him will have only increased following his performance against Manchester City in the FA Cup during the latter stages of last month.

Wolves may have retained their interest in him according to reports - but they aren't alone in their quest to recruit him with several league rivals and the likes of Burnley, Middlesbrough and Sheffield United also monitoring him, with the trio potentially making a move for him if they are promoted at the end of the campaign.

Julen Lopetegui's side may have been able to recruit him for around £20m during the winter, with the Robins having the license to charge this much because of Antoine Semenyo's sale and also because of the fact his contract doesn't expire until the summer of 2025.

Give Me Sport believes Nigel Pearson's side are hopeful of generating up to £30m for him in the summer though, even though the teenager is yet to put pen to paper on a new deal at Ashton Gate in recent months.

And with this new valuation in mind, Jones believes Wolves may have been wise to have moved for the youngster in January.

He said: "I can totally understand why they're targeting Alex Scott.

"And obviously, they were the team that were pretty much most serious about him in the January market. I just think that they won't get him at £20 million anymore.

"I think that price tag put them off in the winter, and if they wanted him, they probably should have jumped at it then because by the time the summer window comes around, that could have jumped by another £10 million."

The Verdict:

You can understand why the Midlands outfit may not have been willing to pay £20m to recruit him because he doesn't have any experience at the top level yet and may have found it difficult to adapt to the Premier League at first.

However, it looks as though he's going to be a star in the future and that's why it's a surprise that no side went ahead and signed him during the winter if he was available for that price.

Considering Newcastle United forked out at least £40m to sign Anthony Gordon - it's a slight surprise that a team like them didn't pounce and try to bring Scott in with the ability and potential he has.

But with Semenyo leaving, the Robins' power to keep him was increased because they generated a sizeable fee for the Ghanaian and could make signings without needing to sell Scott as well.

The summer may be the best time for City to let go of him though - because they won't want to lose him for a reduced fee or for nothing. Losing him for free would be nothing short of a travesty considering his ability.