GiveMeSport
·27 January 2023
GiveMeSport
·27 January 2023
Wolverhampton Wanderers aren’t interested in signing Brighton defender Tariq Lamptey this month, talkSPORT reporter Alex Crook has told GiveMeSport.
Lamptey has fallen down the pecking order with the Seagulls but it appears he won’t be moving to Molineux before the January transfer window slams shut.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano recently told his Twitter followers that Lamptey is a player worth keeping an eye on in the final days of the transfer window.
European clubs have been ‘informed of his situation’ at Brighton, with a potential mid-season exit on the cards.
Wolves were also tentatively linked with a deal for the Ghana international earlier in the transfer window – The Daily Mirror’s John Cross suggested the Midlands club were interested in a loan swoop.
Lamptey – who takes home £42k per week according to Salary Sport – does appear to be in a precarious position at Brighton.
Despite once being viewed as one of the most promising youngsters in the Premier League, the 22-year-old has suffered two lengthy layoffs with a hamstring injury and only has 25 top flight starts to his name.
Joel Veltman has been a more common feature so far this season, while midfielders Pascal GroB and Solly March have at times featured in more of a wing-back capacity on Lamptey’s favoured flank.
Speaking to GiveMeSport, Crook said there was ‘nothing in’ the links between Wolves and Lamptey, dispelling rumours of a January move.
He said to GMS: “I’m terms of a right-back for Wolves, I’m told there’s nothing in the links to Tariq Lamptey. I think long-term they’d want to replace Nelson Semedo, who’d probably move on, but I don’t think that’s a priority for this window.”
No doubt, Lamptey is a talented player. Former manager Graham Potter praised him for his ‘courage’ and ‘electric pace’, and dubbing him a ‘dream player‘ as a £50m valuation circulated in the media.
His speed is something that’s also been noted by Ghana boss Otto Addo, describing him to reporters as ‘a solid Premier League player’ and ‘very fast’.
He would certainly be an interesting addition for Wolves and while they don’t need another starting right-back at present with Semedo featuring regularly, Crook’s insinuation that the Midlands side could look to eventually replace the Portuguese serves up an intriguing scenario.
Semedo’s Molineux deal is due to expire in the summer according to Transfermarkt, although there’s the option of a two-year extension, so loaning in Lamptey now would allow for a try-before-you-buy transition period, where all parties can determine whether the move makes sense long-term.
That being said, Wolves have been one of the Premier League’s busier clubs this month with five signings already, having also brought in six bodies during the summer. Perhaps this isn’t the time to throw another new face into the mix for a position that isn’t a priority, especially while they continue to battle relegation.