Wolverhampton Wanderers’ hopes of finishing in the top half of the Premier League table took another hit on the weekend as they drew 2-2 with struggling Nottingham Forest.
The Old Gold now occupies 11th place in the table, but faces tricky ties against Manchester City, Arsenal, and Liverpool between now and the end of the season.
Gary O’Neil has built a well-structured team who have proven before they can go toe to toe against anyone – evidenced by wins over City, Chelsea, and Tottenham Hotspur this term – but it looks as though the club are stumbling at the most important part of the campaign.
Achieving a top-half finish would be a big boost heading into the summer transfer window, especially as O’Neil will be aiming to further bolster his side ahead of next season.
Might the former Bournemouth manager already be eyeing up a potential signing or two? As a current Premier League defender has emerged as a target for the Molineux side.
Wolves transfer news
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, the Old Gold are showing some interest in signing West Ham United defender Ben Johnson on a free transfer this summer, as the player is out of contract at the end of the campaign.
Wolves are not the only team running the rule over the right-back, however, as Aston Villa, Everton and Spurs are all keen on luring him away from West Ham once his contract expires.
With O’Neil having to comply with financial fair play regulations, bargains may need to be sought out this summer as opposed to splashing out big fees on players.
Johnson currently earns £20k-per-week at the Irons, indicating that his wage demands shouldn’t be too expensive for the club, and it could allow the manager to divert whatever transfer funds he has at his disposal elsewhere.
If they did succeed in bringing him to the Midlands this summer, it would be the second player to move from West Ham to Wolves in just over a year, as Craig Dawson made the move in January 2023 for a fee of just £3.3m, and it has proven to be quite the bargain indeed.
Craig Dawson’s Wolves statistics
The veteran defender had featured for West Bromwich Albion and West Ham in the Premier League prior to his move to Wolves, making 246 appearances in the top flight combined for both clubs.
This meant the club were securing the services of a player who had plenty of experience and was signed to significantly bolster their defence.
His displays helped Wolves retain their Premier League status, while he even scored on his debut during a 3-0 win over Liverpool and his fine performances have carried on to the current season.
The 33-year-old has only missed seven league matches this season so far, forming a solid back three alongside Max Kilman and Toti Gomes.
Among his teammates, Dawson currently ranks fourth in the squad with regard to overall Sofascore rating (7.13), while he also ranks second for accurate passes per game (44.1), first for accurate long balls per game (4), seventh for interceptions per game (0.6) and first for clearances per match (4.8) as the club have enjoyed a solid debut campaign under O’Neil.
Metric
2022/23
2023/24
Accurate passes per game
40.8
44.1
Total duels won per game
3.3
4.4
Tackles per game
0.8
1.2
Clearances per game
4
4.8
Accurate long balls per game
4.1
4
£3.3m has turned out to be a wonderful piece of business for a player who brings as much to the table as Dawson does. Could signing Johnson this summer allow the Old Gold to secure a Dawson 2.0?
Ben Johnson’s market value at West Ham
According to Football Transfers, Johnson is currently valued at €4m (£3.4m), which is a lot lower than his peak value of €15.8m (£13.5m), which came towards the end of the 2021/22 season.
Signing the 24-year-old for nothing could allow O’Neil the chance to give him a regular slot in a team fighting to break into the top half of the table. If he performs well, then there is no reason why his valuation can't rise back over the £10m figure.
This could see Wolves move him on for a significant profit if other clubs showed interest, ensuring they comply with FFP regulations, meaning the move is a no-brainer.
Ben Johnson’s statistics at West Ham this season
It's safe to say that Johnson hasn’t quite been a first-team regular after emerging from the academy into the senior fold.
While he has made 107 appearances for the Londoners, 70 of those were starts, with the other 37 appearances coming off the bench, but this term the defender has managed to feature in the starting XI just seven times.
Due to limited opportunities in the top flight, Johnson has won 2.5 total duels on average per game, made 0.8 tackles and recovered 3.1 balls per match, with these figures likely to be higher if given more game time.
Despite playing only three times in the Europa League this term, the Englishman has averaged a pass success rate of 87% per game along with losing possession just six times on average per game and averaging 29 touches, showing his intent to get involved while averaging only 33 minutes in each match.
Hailed as a “wonderful professional” by former coach Stuart Pearce back in 2021, Johnson simply needs more minutes on the pitch to fully demonstrate his true potential.
He isn’t getting that at West Ham, hence why it looks increasingly likely that they will release him this summer, sparking a free-for-all regarding the teams that are currently showing plenty of interest in him.
Dawson has shown his class since making the move north last year, and he could still be a vital part of the Wolves' defence during the 2024/25 season.
If Johnson makes the move to the Midlands, he could have a positive impact under O’Neil and help the side work their way up the Premier League table.
As reiterated, adding a player of Johnson's quality to his squad, especially without having to pay a transfer fee, is surely a no-brainer for O’Neil this summer.
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