da supremo： Newly-promoted Wolves are interested in signing England international Jack Butland, valued at £30m by relegated Stoke City, according to the Sun.
What’s the story, then?
da jogodeouro： The Sun report that Stoke will demand a fee matching the amount Jordan Pickford fetched when he left Sunderland last summer to join Everton as 20% of it will go to Butland’s former club Birmingham City.
They say that Wolves will be interested at that price but could face competition from fellow Midlands club and former Premier League champions Leicester City if Kasper Schmeichel leaves the King Power Stadium this summer.
The report also claims that Butland is keen to remain in the top flight to maintain his England chances, ensuring he stays in Gareth Southgate’s plans after this summer’s World Cup in Russia.
Wolves only need finishing touches to be top 10
Finishing in the top ten of the Premier League sounds like a huge ambition but Newcastle did it last season on their first season back in the big time.
That is despite hardly spending to improve the squad that got them out of the Championship and being largely uninspiring before a hot period of late season form and finishing level on points with Crystal Palace – who endured the worst ever start to a Premier League season – and Bournemouth.
That means that the top ten should not be out of reach for Wolves at all and while John Ruddy performed brilliantly last season, a current England international like Butland would take their backline onto another level.
A large proportion of the teams in the Premier League’s bottom half lack identity and direction, just waiting to sack their manager at the first time of trouble but Wolves play better football than most of them. Butland would just sure things up at the other end.
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