This article is part of Football FanCast’s Opinion series, which provides analysis, insight and opinion on any issue within the beautiful game, from Paul Pogba’s haircuts to League Two relegation battles…
Ruben Dias to Wolves is a rumour that seemingly won’t go away. A deal for the defender appeared to be on the cards in the summer before the move fell through.
However, new links have appeared according to reports from O Jogo (via Sport Witness) and given he’s a client of Jorge Mendes, it makes perfect sense.
But it’s a move for a younger centre back that might well have Max Kilman sweating over his long-term development at the club.
Kilman doesn’t possess your usual back story into football. Once a futsal player, he’s had an unorthodox route into the professional game.
The 22-year-old has begun to make his breakthrough this term, appearing in Europe but he is yet to make his Premier League bow. With Willy Boly out with an ankle fracture that dream could soon become a reality.
Yet, if the old gold land 17-year-old target Nigel Lonwijk, a move that’s been touted as happening, it could set him back in the years to come.
Tim Spiers has claimed the deal is set to go through but when the Dutchman will actually join remains to be seen.
Although he’ll go straight into the academy set-up, there are reasons to believe that he could soon find a pathway into the first team, just as Kilman has done.
Lonwijk wouldn’t be your usual academy signing. After all, the PSV teenager has captained his age group in his homeland and was a regular in the U17 Eredivisie last term. This is a player with clear promise, one that comes with a highly rated tag too.
Given he’s still very raw, any instant damage on Kilman’s career is unlikely but there are already limited spaces in Wolves’ defence to make an impact.
Boly’s injury has so far seen midfielders Leander Dendoncker and Romain Saiss preferred which tells you all you need to know about the pecking order and Nuno Santo’s reluctance to use Kilman.
The youngster has already been held back by senior members but if Lonwijk can impress in an academy that won Premier League 2 Division 2 last season, he could be fast-tracked into the senior team, just as the aforementioned Wolves man has done.
This would only serve as bad news for Kilman who will now need to prove his worth even more so than previously.
