Wolverhampton Wanderers have already moved to strengthen their attacking ranks this month, with manager Julen Lopetegui overseeing the signing of Brazilian gem, Matheus Cunha, from Atletico Madrid.
With finding the back of the net still a major issue for the Old Gold so far this term, however – having only scored 12 times in 19 top-flight games to date – it does appear that further firepower with be needed in order to stave off the drop.
The latest suggestion is that West Ham United speedster Michail Antonio could well be the man that the Midlands side are chasing at present, with talkSPORT reporting last week that the Jamaican international is a target for the club.
The same publication only recently outlined that the Hammers could sanction a sale if they were to find suitable replacements, with David Moyes’ side now closing in on the signing of Danny Ings from Aston Villa.
With the door potentially open for a move to be made, transfer insider Dean Jones – speaking to GIVEMESPORT – has now confirmed that the 32-year-old is a ‘player of interest’ for those at Molineux.
The respected journalist stated: “It’s one of those that crops up and you kind of discard it because you think there’s no chance Antonio would leave.
“Sometimes a player and a club just seem to be a good fit and go hand in hand, but actually, there is something to this. Antonio is a player of interest.”
The former Nottingham Forest man would offer ready-made Premier League quality as he is the Irons’ leading scorer in the competition’s history with 58 goals to date, having scored ten top-flight goals in each of the past three seasons prior to the start of the current campaign.
Although the £85k-per-week machine has since only netted two league goals this time around, he is still undoubtedly a “frightening” talent, as lauded by pundit Harry Redknapp, with his relentless pace making him a real potent threat for any opposition defence.
It would no doubt be somewhat mouthwatering to have an attacking duo of Antonio and current Wolves menace, Adama Traore, with the latter man having been described as a “motorcycle” by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola in the past as “nobody can handle his pace”.
The devastating Spaniard may have his shortcomings with regard to producing an end product – having only provided one goal involvement this term in the league – although his dynamism has ensured he is a real livewire down the flanks, showcased by the fact that the 26-year-old ranks in the top 1% in Europe among those in his position for dribbles completed.
That direct trait is also shared by the current West Ham titan, with Antonio also ranking in the top 8% in that same metric to illustrate his brilliance with the ball at his feet.
Putting those two ferocious figures together in the forward line could well allow Lopetegui’s side to wreak havoc in the second half of the campaign, with few defenders set to enjoy having to keep pace with both Antonio and Traore.