Wolves want to sign “highly rated” £9m star

Things have finally begun to take a turn for Wolverhampton Wanderers. After a disastrous start to the 2024/25 campaign, in which they failed to win their first ten games, the Old Gold have now registered two victories on the bounce.

A 2-0 win against Southampton before the international break and an impressive 4-1 thrashing away from home against Fulham have lifted them off the bottom of the table. Gary O’Neil’s side have gained some important momentum as they look to battle relegation this term.

Things must still improve defensively, and they have conceded more goals than any other top flight side this term with 28. With that in mind, Wolves are targeting a defensive reinforcement in the January window.

Wolves target Ligue 1 defender

The player in question here is Cameroon international centre-back Christopher Wooh. The 23-year-old has impressed for his club Stade Rennais this term, and could now make a move in the winter transfer window.

Paris St Germain's Ousmane Dembele in action with Stade Rennes' Christopher Wooh. — Reuters/Sarah Meyssonnier

According to a report from GiveMeSport, the Old Gold are ‘keeping tabs’ on Wooh this January, with the youngster having ‘crept onto their shortlist of potential options’.

There is thought to be a level of ‘acceptance that Wolves’ defence needs to be reinforced after club meetings’ deemed the situation not good enough so far.

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One reason for targeting the Cameroonian defender is because he is likely to be a cheap option. He cost Rennes around £9m when they signed him two summers ago. This makes the 23-year-old a viable option for Wolves ‘due to their budget constraints’ in January.

Why Wooh would be a good signing

It has been a strong season so far for the former Lens centre-back. Wooh has been an important cog in the works for Jorge Sampaoli’s side, featuring ten out of a possible 12 times in Ligue 1 so far, starting all ten of those games.

In terms of his profile, the 16-cap Cameroon international is strong in the air, helped by the fact he stands at 6 foot 3. He reads the game well and likes to sweep up loose balls and intercept passes.

His stats on FBref show good he is defensively. In Ligue 1 per 90 minutes this season, the Rennes number four wins an average of 2.32 aerial duels and makes 3.89 combined tackles and interceptions.

Wooh’s defensive stats in Ligue 1 this season
Stat (per 90)	Number
Aerial duels won	2.32
Aerial duel win %	68.8%
Tackles and interceptions	3.89
Blocks	1.79
Ball recoveries	3.05
Stats from FBref

His ability on the ball does not shine through much at Les Rouge et Noirs. As per Sofascore, this term they have averaged just 50.2% possession per game, the 8th highest in the top division of France.

That is more than Wolves, the third worst in the Premier League according to Sofascore, with 44.2% per game. It is Wooh’s defensive ability that the Midlands club are focused on more than anything, as they look to stop leaking goals.

Should this deal get over the line, the Old Gold will be hoping he is as successful as Rayan Ait-Nouri. The Algerian defender also joined from Ligue 1 in 2020 on an initial loan deal from Angers that became permanent the following season.

He has been a revelation at wing-back, flying down the left flank week in, week out. Throughout his time in the Midlands, the Algeria international has been impressive, contributing to ten goals and ten assists in 129 games in all competitions. This term, the 23-year-old already has five goal involvements to his name in just 12 appearances.

There is a chance that the Midlands club could lose the left wing-back, one of their biggest stars, in January. This week, new reports state that Ait-Nouri is a target for Premier League giants Manchester United and Liverpool.

If Wooh does end up making the move from France to the Midlands, it represents a good deal for Wolves. They would be signing a “highly-rated” young defender, as football scout Antonio Mango described him. The Old Gold will be hoping he can follow in Ait-Nouri’s footsteps and become their next big signing frim Ligue 1.