NafisaWith comfortable Premier League safety confirmed for Wolverhampton Wanderers, Vitor Pereira’s primary task in his debut summer at the club will be to manage a window of significant transfer activity as the team look to build on their top-flight momentum next season.
The exit of 15-goal Matheus Cunha seems likely, with Manchester United leading the race to acquire the Brazilian despite their disappointing Europa League final loss to Ange Postecoglou’s Tottenham Hotspur.
However, for Wolves, triggering the 25-year-old’s £62.5m release clause would mark a record-breaking sale, and such a fee could significantly bolster their ability to reinforce the squad.
Rayan Ait-Nouri is also on the radar of multiple elite Premier League clubs, with left-back proving a troublesome spot for many and Wolves boasting one of the finest options available.
Wanderers still aspire to tie the Algerian to a new contract at Molineux but have already begun contingency planning for Cunha’s potential departure, with attacking alternatives identified to succeed the Brazil international should he secure a move.
Wolverhampton Wanderers reportedly leading the race to land Serie A star:
Wolves have been associated with interest in Lazio striker Taty Castellanos, who, according to sources in Italy, may be on the radar of several English top-tier teams.
Nottingham Forest and West Ham United have also been mentioned as possible suitors for the 26-year-old former New York City and Girona forward, who has netted 10 Serie A goals this season for European hopefuls Lazio.
Wolves are reportedly in pole position to land Castellanos, with suggestions that Pereira’s men are the “most advanced” in their approach, having already initiated dialogue with Lazio regarding the Argentine, who earned his senior national team debut in 2024.
A €30m (£25m) valuation has been reported, which would account for only a fraction of the expected fee from Cunha’s sale and would still leave sufficient funds for other team enhancements, particularly in midfield.
How Castellanos could integrate at Molineux:
While the need to replace Cunha’s goal tally is obvious, it remains uncertain exactly where Castellanos would be deployed in Pereira’s tactics should he join Wolverhampton. Pereira favours a 3-4-2-1 setup, which has delivered excellent results for Wolves since his arrival last December.
Jorgen Strand Larsen has been the club’s clear first-choice striker, registering 14 Premier League goals in his maiden season in England — including six in six consecutive victories during the team’s impressive spring surge.
With the second-best conversion rate in the division, Strand Larsen is expected to retain his place in the starting line-up once his loan switch becomes permanent next term.
Thus, Castellanos would most likely be used in a rotation role with Strand Larsen, helping to share the attacking responsibilities with the Norwegian.
Although mainly utilised as a central forward at Lazio, Castellanos has the ability to drop deeper and contribute to build-up play, meaning the Argentine might also be an option to fill Cunha’s void behind the primary striker. The two possess contrasting styles, however, so he would not serve as a like-for-like replacement.
Castellanos famously netted four goals in a single match against Real Madrid while playing for Girona in La Liga in 2023, and Wolves supporters will be eager to see him replicate that kind of prolific form if he ends up signing at Molineux.
Nafisa
