The brutal West Ham transfer hijack Wolves could make to seal bargain transfer of the summer

Wolverhampton Wanderers have successfully turned their fortunes around under Vitor Pereira and are almost certain to be playing Premier League football again next season.

Pereira has picked up 26 points since succeeding Gary O’Neil, more than all the bottom three clubs combined, while winning half of his 16 games in charge.

In fact based on data from TWTD, Wolves would be eighth in the league if results were based just on Pereira’s reign meaning there is every chance that the club could compete at the higher end of the table next term after flirting with relegation.

To do this Wolves would need to keep their superstars on board and while Joao Gomes has committed his long-term future, the release clause surrounding Matheus Cunha continues to attract the attention of the rumour mill, with Newcastle joining the long list of clubs interested in his services.

The bold West Ham transfer hijack Wolves could make

If Mathues Cunha was to leave Wolves for £63m it would undoubtedly be a big blow to Vitor Pereira’s plans of moving the team up the league ladder. However, they could make a huge statement of intent by signing one of Europe’s top strikers for free if they can convince him of the project ahead.

Jonathan David of Lille, who has netted 23 goals in 44 appearances this term, is not expected to sign a new contract at The Stade Pierre-Mauroy and is expected to be a target for a number of Premier League clubs.

At 25-years-of-age he is in his peak years, is a proven goalscorer and someone that would offer immense pace and movement to get in behind while potentially forming an excellent partnership with Jorgen Strand-Larsen if he’s kept on board.

Mail Sport claims that West Ham are at the front of the queue to secure the services of the Canadian international but Wolves could argue that based on recent transfer windows and the profit they have made they are in a more sustainable position to invest in the team through FFP whilst also sitting one place above West Ham in the league table at this moment.

The Molinuex club have picked up 10 more points than West Ham since Pereira’s arrival and could look to use that upwards momentum to their advantage in the same way former boss Nuno Espirito Santo did this term with Nottingham Forest to help them rise from 17th to 4th in the league table.

Of course, there’s still a good chance that David will seek immediate Champions League football next season, which he’s more than justified to do so, given his form in the competition this year after scoring against the likes of Juventus, Liverpool and Real Madrid while attracting interest from the Reds along with Arsenal, Newcastle and Manchester United.

What other free agent strikers could Wolves target

Using the free agent market Wolves could look to attract a number of proven goalscorers to the club to replace the output of Matheus Cunha if he was to leave.

One experienced name with a proven track record in the Premier League is former Arsenal forward Alexander Lacazette. The French international scored 54 goals in 158 top-flight games for the Gunners and has a solid record of 58 goals in 90 Ligue 1 games since returning to Lyon, with 12 of those coming this season.

The 33-year-old is in the final few months of his contract at Lyon but faces an uncertain future due to the club’s financial issues which could lead to them being relegated from the top-flight.

Read More: Wolves' £13.5m agent fee spend compared to Newcastle United and Arsenal