Defender Kevin Danso Approaching Wolverhampton Move
Wolverhampton Wanderers have started talks to sign central defender Kevin Danso from his French club, Lens.
No deal has been agreed yet between the two clubs for the 26-year-old, who has played 125 matches with Lens over four seasons.
The Austrian international, who made 10 appearances on loan at Southampton in the 2019-2020 season, has represented Austria 24 times.
According to The Athletic, Wolverhampton’s priority in the winter transfer window has been to recruit a new central defender after Max Kilman’s departure to West Ham United in the summer and the ACL injury suffered by Yerson Mosquera, which ended his season in September.
They have already completed the signing of central defender Emmanuel Agbadou from Reims this month, with head coach Vítor Pereira targeting defensive reinforcements after recently shifting to a five-defender formation.
Wolverhampton has conceded 52 goals in 23 Premier League matches this season, just one less than Southampton, who have conceded the most goals.
Pereira’s team, currently in 18th place, returns to action on Saturday with a home league match against Aston Villa.
Wolverhampton’s need for central defenders dates back to the beginning of the summer transfer window when captain Max Kilman moved to West Ham United.
Former coach Gary O’Neil was keen to replace Kilman and was close to signing Dara O’Shea from Burnley, but O’Shea moved to Ipswich after Wolverhampton failed to match his offer, leaving O’Neil without reinforcements.
The need increased after O’Neil shifted to a three-center-back system, having initially started the season determined to play with just two.
The new coach, Pereira, has continued using a similar system, recognizing the need for a different type of central defenders: strong, physically fit players who can also initiate attacks from the back.
He succeeded in signing Agbadou, who has impressed in recent matches, but with Craig Dawson’s departure from the spotlight, Toti’s injury after a poor start to the season, and Santiago Bueno struggling with the physical demands of the Premier League, Pereira was eager to add another player to complement what Agbadou has already brought.
