Wolves are ready to make a renewed £20 million move for Bristol City’s Alex Scott, as they look to edge past Tottenham and West Ham in the battle to land the highly rated youngster.
Julen Lopetegui is preparing for another squad revamp in the summer and has identified Scott, the England under-20 international, as a key target ahead of next season.
There are doubts over the futures of midfielders Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho, with Neves widely expected to leave this summer. A number of big European clubs are monitoring the Portuguese midfielder, who has just over 12 months left on his contract.
The future of Moutinho, 36, is also uncertain with his deal expiring at the end of this season, and Wolves are set to make another attempt to sign Scott. They held talks with Bristol City in January over a potential deal for the 19-year-old midfielder but pulled out of negotiations over the £25 million price tag.
Scott is a target for a number of other Premier League clubs, including Tottenham and West Ham, but Lopetegui is a huge admirer of the teenager and wants to secure a deal in the summer. Scott has excelled in the Championship under Nigel Pearson this season and recently impressed Manchester City in their FA Cup fifth-round tie at Ashton Gate.
City may stick to their £25 million fee, however, as they are understood to value Scott higher than their previous record sale of £20 million when Adam Webster moved to Brighton in August 2019.
Although Wolves are fighting to avoid dropping into the Championship, plans are already advanced for another busy summer if they stay up.
Adama Traore is another player who could leave on a free transfer and Wolves are planning for a natural evolution of their squad.
They rejected offers for Raul Jimenez and Hwang Hee-chan from Premier League clubs in January and are expecting bids for other players in the summer.
Lopetegui has secured six wins from 15 games since his appointment in November, with Wolves five points above the relegation zone ahead of Sunday’s trip to Newcastle.