GiveMeSport
·26 December 2023
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·26 December 2023
Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Gary O'Neil is facing a 'big call' over whether to cash in on Fabio Silva or Sasa Kalajdzic, and transfer insider Dean Jones has told GIVEMESPORT if both strikers could leave Molineux during the January window.
Although Silva became the most expensive signing in Wolves' entire history when they forked out slightly more than £35million in order to tempt Porto into selling their prised asset in September 2020, he has failed to live up to expectations and been linked with a move away.
Kalajdzic was also an expensive acquisition, having headed to the West Midlands in a £15million deal from German outfit Stuttgart last year, but he could seal a quickfire exit when the transfer window reopens in the coming days.
Silva is poised to bring the curtain down on his Wolves career in January, according to Portuguese media outlet O Jogo, and Scottish Premiership title-chasers Celtic and Rangers are at the front of the queue to acquire his services.
The report suggests the Old Firm rivals are ahead of Spanish suitors in the race to land the Portugal under-21 international, who is among Wanderers' highest earners thanks to being on a contract worth £80,000-per-week, but they are facing further competition.
It is understood that Bundesliga quintet Freiburg, Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Monchengladbach, Wolfsburg and Union Berlin are also keen to offer Silva an escape route from Molineux, while Serie A outfits are monitoring his situation as well.
Talking Wolves presenter Dave Azzopardi recently told GIVEMESPORT the frontman will go on to have a 'successful football career' despite his struggles in the West Midlands, and he is in desperate need of a fresh start elsewhere.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that O'Neil is open to sanctioning Kalajdzic's exit after failing to break into the forefront of his plans as he bids to free up more cash to secure reinforcements during the fast-approaching January transfer window.
The Austrian's Wolves career has not gone to plan as he missed the remainder of the 2022/23 season after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament injury less than 45 minutes into his debut during a 1-0 win over Southampton last September.
Although Kalajdzic has grabbed important goals against Everton and Bournemouth this term, he has still been starved of regular game time and accumulated less than 200 minutes of Premier League action thanks to being behind Matheus Cunha in the pecking order.
Jones is certain that O'Neil will not allow Silva and Kalajdzic to depart Wolves during the same transfer window, meaning he is facing a critical decision over who is more dispensable ahead of the second half of the campaign.
While the respected journalist believes Silva has plenty of potential despite his disappointing performances in a Wanderers shirt, he also feels Kalajdzic is capable of causing defenders serious problems after he was previously wanted by Premier League rivals.
Jones told GIVEMESPORT:
Jonny Castro Otto is expected to head through the Molineux exit door next month, according to The Athletic, after swinging an elbow towards Wolves' under-21 forward Tawanda Chirewa and spitting at a member of the coaching staff.
The report suggests the left-back, who has been restricted to just four minutes of Premier League action this season, also damaged items in the players' room after continuing to lash out at Wanderers' Compton Park training ground.
Sporting director Matt Hobbs has confirmed that Jonny will train away from his teammates until the end of January as a result of his actions, while he has apologised and accepted his current employers' decision to remove him from contention for a place in upcoming matchday squads.
The three-cap Spain international may find it difficult to reignite his Premier League career if he embarks on a fresh challenge as Sunday People chief sports writer Neil Moxley recently told GIVEMESPORT that he does not boast the athleticism wanted by managers in the English top flight.
Although Jonny was put on the market ahead of the season getting underway, with Wolves being open to cashing in if a suitable offer was put on the table during the summer, a move onto pastures new failed to come to fruition before the deadline.