This “ridiculous” 31-goal striker could be the perfect partner for Pedro Neto at Wolves.
Wolverhampton Wanderers had a turbulent summer transfer window, losing key players such as Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Raul Jimenez, and Adama Traore, while head coach Julen Lopetegui resigned in protest a few days before the season began to express his dissatisfaction with the club’s transfer business.
Gary O’Neil took over the Molineux dugout from the former Real Madrid manager and faced an uphill battle from the start. However, the ex-Bournemouth manager has led Wolves to 12th position in the Premier League, one place higher than previous season.
Now, the manager is trying to bolster his striking squad ahead of the second half of the season, and he has his sights set on one of Europe’s most effective goal scorers.
Wolves transfer news
Wolves have picked Iranian centre-forward Mehdi Taremi as the ideal number ‘9’ to buy ahead of the January transfer window to improve the attacking line, according to FCInter News, and are prepared to make a big offer to Porto. According to the publication, the Midlands club would face competition from Italian powers and Champions League finalists Inter Milan.
Taremi has been a prolific goalscorer in Portugal for several years, scoring 31 goals in 51 games across all competitions last season, including 22 in the Primeira Liga, earning him the league’s Golden Boot award for the second time in his career. Despite missing out on the title by two points, the Iranian international recorded 14 assists for the Portuguese giants.
Taremi finished as Europe’s fourth-best goalscorer in 2022, ahead of Lionel Messi, Harry Kane, and Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema. Rio Ferdinand, a Manchester United veteran and TV analyst, praised the 31-year-old, calling his goal-scoring form “ridiculous.”
Mehdi Taremi’s stats this season
The experienced frontman hasn’t been as effective up front as in previous seasons, but he’s still managed to score three goals for Porto this season, including one goal and two assists in the Champions League as the club sits second in Group H and looks to advance to the next round.
According to reports, Porto paid £17 million for Taremi’s back, which might be a decent price for Wolves ahead of the summer window, especially given that the Iranian is outperforming Hwang Hee-chan in a number of crucial offensive stats this season.
| Taremi vs Hwang | ||
|---|---|---|
| Per 90 Metrics | Mehdi Taremi | Hwang Hee-chan |
| Goals | 0.23 | 0.74 |
| Expected Goals | 0.37 | 0.31 |
| Assists | 0.23 | 0.21 |
| Expected Assists | 0.19 | 0.21 |
| Shots | 1.71 | 2.02 |
| Shots On Target | 0.85 | 0.74 |
| Shots Per Goal | 0.09 | 0.35 |
| Stats via FBref | ||
Hwang has outscored Taremi this season, but the latter has still scored 34 goals since the start of the previous campaign, demonstrating his efficiency in the penalty area. O’Neil may have discovered the ideal partner for winger Pedro Neto in his front three.
The Portuguese attacker leads the Premier League in assists this season with seven, while also averaging 0.71 assists per 90, 2.55 key passes per 90, and 2.04 passes into the penalty area per 90, according to FBref, demonstrating his incredible ability to create chances for teammates.
Taremi may thrive in English football if he is given such high-quality opportunities every game, and he would immediately strengthen Wolves’ attacking threat as O’Neil looks to keep his team out of a harsh relegation battle.
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