Wolverhampton Wanderers are on their way back to the Championship, and will be preparing for what will inevitably be an extremely busy summer of turnover at Molineux. With just three wins in 34 Premier League games, and four games still to go, it hasn’t been a memorable year for Wolves fans, certainly not in terms of positive memories, at least. Vitor Pereira’s time in charge ended in disaster despite a promising end to the last campaign, leading the Black Country outfit to poach Welsh boss and former defender Rob Edwards from Championship side Middlesbrough in November. Edwards’ arrival did little to lift results, in truth, something the Wolves board were probably reluctantly expecting, as despite relegation having long been confirmed, his position at the helm isn’t under any real threat, and it’s expected that he will lead them into next season. The 43-year-old has a busy summer in store for him, though it’s something he will have long been prepared for, as identifying possible summer targets will have already been in the back of his mind since long ago. As one of his first additions this summer, he should take a trip down the M6 to Coventry City to poach one of their out-of-favour defenders, who has the potential to star in the second tier.
Wolves should look to sign Kaine Kesler-Hayden from Coventry this summer
With Coventry essentially replacing Wolves in the Premier League and vice versa, the Old Gold should look to poach some of the Sky Blues’ stars this summer who might be available. Right wing-back Kaine Kesler-Hayden has had a difficult season on a personal level since his £3.5 million switch to the CBS Arena almost 12 months ago from Aston Villa, having failed to displace Milan van Ewijk in the starting XI. The 23-year-old joined Coventry to provide competition for the Dutchman after a stellar year for Preston North End, in which he was named as the fans’ Player of the Year, Player’s Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year. Despite this, replacing Van Ewijk, who is widely considered to be the best right-back in the league, was always going to be a difficult task, and so it has proven to be, with the Birmingham native limited to just four league starts all season, with the rest of his 17 appearances coming from the bench. Sky Blues head coach Frank Lampard has commented on his lack of playing time, saying: “It’s not been the easiest season for him not playing as regularly as he’s ever played. He’s been used to playing, wherever he’s been, even been on loan at different clubs. “I’m sure he respects Milan. Milan’s consistent and plays a lot for us. He’s had a couple of little injuries as well. And I know him personally, as a human, as a lad, that’s not easy for him. And I think he’s found it a bit tough but I hope he knows he’s supported and I hope he knows that we trust him and like him.” With his game time limited in the second tier, it’s unlikely that he will see an increase in the Premier League, as Kesler-Hayden’s best bet may be to head back to the second tier in search of more game time, and few clubs are more fitting than Wolves. Having only joined Coventry last summer for £3.5 million on a four-year deal, it’s unlikely that the Sky Blues will be looking to make a loss on the right-back, with a loan back to the second tier the most likely avenue, unless a side can stump up a fee they believe to be acceptable. Edwards will almost certainly persist with his preferred three-man defence system next year, with wing-backs key to his philosophy, and few players are more tailor-made to that role than Kesler-Hayden, who could thrive under the Welshman. Jackson Tchatchoua, Wolves’ current right wing-back, could well leave the club this summer after just one year, with doubts surrounding Ki-Jana Hoever’s long-term future at the club persisting, leaving just 19-year-old Brazilian Pedro Lima as the only other option.
Kesler-Hayden would be an ideal fit for Wolves, and Edwards should look to make him the first addition in his summer rebuild at Molineux.
Do you think Kesler-Hayden would be a good addition at Wolves, or should they look elsewhere? Comment your thoughts below!
Rob Edwards has a huge rebuilding task on his hands at Wolves this summer
Edwards is set to face an almighty task of rebuilding Wolves this summer, with a huge portion of the squad likely to leave the club following relegation. The likes of Joao Gomes, Andre, Ladislav Krejci, Hwang Hee-Chan, Jose Sa, and David Moller Wolfe are just a handful of names likely to depart this summer, though the list almost certainly doesn’t stop there. Edwards will have a general gist of who will be staying at the club and who to build his squad around, but for the most part, it will be a new-look Wolves side next season. Kesler-Hayden’s arrival would be an excellent start to the window and set the precedent for what is to come from them, as the Old Gold aim to bounce back to the top flight at the first time of asking.