Rahul NareshWolverhampton Wanderers are having a decent campaign in the Premier League. Their success largely goes down to their ability to defend in a compact manner — a trait not a lot of Premier League sides possess. Their issues, however, have been in front of goal and their inability to get things moving at pace in the final third. Be it the defensive success or the lack of attacking prowess, these are the five Wolves players to watch in 2022.
Rayan Aït-Nouri
The first one is the left-footed wingback Rayan Aït-Nouri. The Frenchman is only 20 years old and has made quite the impression already in the Premier League. He is key to Wolves’ system, which is a three-at-the-back with the wingbacks allowed to get forward and support the attacking play.
In his breakthrough year in England, Aït-Nouri did not fail to impress. However, the Wolves fans will hope to see similar performances from him in the coming seasons as well.
Hwang Hee-Chan
The next Wolves player to watch is Hwang Hee-Chan. The South Korean’s arrival to Wolves has gone down well with the fans as the striker has looked to impose himself upon the Wolves squad. With Raúl Jiménez taking time off to get back to full fitness at the start of the season, the opportunity presented itself to Hwang, who took it with both hands.
Hwang kicked off the season well by scoring a total of four goals, though he has fallen off the rails in recent weeks. If injuries do not get in the way and he gets to put a string of games together, Hwang could well be one to watch in 2022.
Francisco Trincão
Up next is another young and vibrant player, Francisco Trincão. The left-footed winger is yet to make himself a regular starter in the Wolves squad. While he does get a few games to prove his worth, he is currently lacking the end product, something many want to see from him. With Adama Traoré possibly departing the club, Trincão can expect more game time during the rest of the season.
There is no doubt that the fans would wish for better numbers in terms of stats from the youngster, but it must be noted that he is young, and patience is the key with a player like Trincão.
Conor Coady
The Wolves captain is next on the list. Coady plays in the middle of the three centre-backs for his team. It is no surprise that Wolves have the fifth-highest clean sheets in the Premier League. Coady plays a huge role in leading the backline and commanding the box when Wolves are on the back foot.
Of course, another advantage of having big centre-backs is the threat from set-pieces. Along with his centre-backs, Coady has proved vital in scoring goals for Wolves from corners and set-piece situations.
Romain Saïss
Centre-backs have been crucial to Wolves’ success so far in the Premier League, and Romain Saïss has been pivotal to the defensive side of things for his team. Not only has he contributed to the eight clean sheets that Wolves have stacked up so far, he also has a couple of goals to his name.
The Moroccan has excellent ability in the air and can score with his feet as well. Most importantly, he seems assured on the defensive side of the game. Saïss is, therefore, one to watch in 2022.
