Wolves Old Gold has the next Adama in an exciting Academy Superstar
Wolverhampton Wanderers have had a testing time of late, having juggled financial, managerial and on-pitch woes while maintaining their status in the Premier League.
The Old Gold have put in some impressive performances so far under Gary O’Neil, who joined the side just four days before their
campaign opener against Manchester United, however have not been able to determine which way the results have gone.
Only three points have been recorded from Wolves’ opening five fixtures, with
Much-needed sales were sanctioned in the summer to balance the books to adhere to Financial Fair Play (FFP) restrictions, leaving the club’s margin to replace such talents very small.
As a result, O’Neil’s squad options have been minimised, leaving room for talents outside the first team to hope to show their worth while the squad is in transition.
a late 1-0 win at Everton the high point of the first few weeks which have seen the side miss out on points despite causing threat.
One star who could find a way into the senior side in the future is winger Fabian Reynolds, who joined Wolves’ academy in 2021 from AFC Kingston Youth.
Deployed primarily on the right wing, the 17-year-old has advanced tremendously well in the Midlands so far, seeing him excel through the ranks and earn minutes at U21 level as well as for the U18s.
Last season in the U18 Premier League, the forward had a hand in four goals, scoring two and assisting two in 21 appearances in the 2022/23 campaign for the Old Gold.
At the point of his signing for the Premier League side, his former club dubbed the forward as “formidable”, saying on their official site that he was “destined for greatness” after his performances prior to leaving.
At U13s level, the 2006-born whiz scoredIf the tricky youngster can continue his rise through the ranks and have another impressive season for Wolves, there could be a gap in the squad for the youngster to thrive in senior surroundings, with him showing signs of having a skill set similar to a recently departed favourite. a remarkable 39 goals in the SYL Premier Division, demonstrating form that hinted just how much of a star he could one day become in the game.
The winger has got his 2023/24 campaign off to a strong start, scoring a terrific solo goal most recently against Derby during the U18s thrilling 3-2 win.
Adama Traore bid farewell to Molineux this summer after a five-year association with the club, leaving behind a gap in the wide threat department in his absence.
In his last campaign, the Spaniard ranked in the top 5% of wingers in the Premier League for his one-on-one threat, averaging 2.95 successful take-ons per 90 to assert his dominance going forward, as per FBref.
As highlighted in the goal he scored against Derby just last week, Reynolds has strengths to his game similar to those of the dazzling dribbler that is Traore, giving O’Neil the potential to have the heir to the dangerous winger within the club’s ranks already.
Wolves’ financial situations could see the club opt to promote more youth prospects as an alternative to being active in the transfer window, making this season one for O’Neil to harvest some unearthed gems in the academy.
