According to O Jogo, Wolves are ready to break their club record and splash €38 million to secure the services of Raul Jimenez on a permanent basis.
The striker, on loan from Benfica, has impressed in the Premier League this season, forcing the newly promoted side to consider a permanent move.
But, would it be a prudent move from Nuno Espirito Santo’s men?
Raul Jimenez: A perfect long-term solution for Wolves?
A former Atletico Madrid striker, Jimenez has been an influential figure for the Wolves attack this season despite scoring just four goals in fifteen league appearances.
Jimenez is an unorthodox forward, who generally relies on his physical prowess as a means to hold off opposition defenders. As you would expect from any Mexican forward, Jimenez is an aggressive attacker whose excellent work-rate often makes him a key component in the final third.
And this has been evident in his performances with Wolves this season, where the 27-year-old has been much more than just a goalscoring outlet. In fact, the Mexican has been more of a creative spark in the final third, which reflects heavily on his impressive tally of five assists in 15 matches.
Jimenez’s ability to hold on to the ball has allowed the likes of Diogo Jota and co. to become more expressive in the attacking half, which, in turn, has drastically improved Wolves’ overall efficiency in the offensive third. He has averaged over one key pass per game, which is not a bad reading at all, especially for a centre-forward.
Additionally, the 27-year-old is an excellent header of the ball, which surely becomes useful in counter-attacking situations, where teams often tend to load a series of crosses into the box. As a matter of fact, only Ryan Bennett and Matt Doherty have been involved in more aerial duels than Jimenez this season.
And although Jimenez still has to improve on his overall finishing, the Mexican’s overall gameplay helps Wolves.
As far as Wolves are concerned, retaining the services of Jimenez for a foreseeable future could be the right thing to do given the fact that the player has already impressed in the English top flight and will only improve over time.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
