Wolverhampton Wanderers may have lost Max Kilman during the summer transfer window, but rest assured, Gary O’Neil is working hard to bring in a replacement.
Of course, it won't be easy. Kilman made over 150 competitive appearances for the Old Gold after joining in 2018, eventually becoming their captain last season.
With just under a month to go until the end of the current window, O’Neil has plenty of time, but he must ensure his replacement can fill the large void left by the Englishman.
Could O’Neil be closer than we think to making that signing?
Wolves eye up Championship defender
Naturally, there have been a fair few links with numerous defenders in a bid to sign one or two this summer.
The latest news regarding O’Neil’s search comes from Fabrizio Romano, who said via X: “Maxime Estève could be one to watch in August as Premier League clubs are exploring move for Burnley CB.
“Wolves have asked for conditions, race open for Estève.”
Player
Club signed from
Appearances
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde
Strasbourg
26
Jeremy Helen
Sheffield Wednesday
8
Sylvain Deslandes
Caen
8
Steven Mouyokolo
Hull City
7
Jereme Aliadiere
Arsenal
14
Jean-Manuel Thetis
Ipswich Town
3
Ludovic Pollet
RC Lens
85
Serge Romano
FC Martigues
4
It appears as though the Molineux outfit could be close to securing a swoop for the Burnley centre-back and he would make for a fine Kilman replacement.
Maxime Esteve’s season in numbers
The Frenchman played for two teams during the 2023/24 campaign. He started the season off with Montpellier, before joining Burnley in January for the second half of the Premier League season.
His performances in Ligue 1 clearly impressed Burnley enough to lure him to England. Across 12 games in the French top flight, Esteve averaged an 80% pass success rate, while keeping four clean sheets, winning 3.6 total duels per game – a success rate of 57% – and recovering 4.3 balls per game, showcasing his defensive talents.
He was slotted into the starting XI straight away upon his arrival at Turf Moor and began to prove exactly why the club went and signed him in the first place.
He finished the Premier League campaign with a pass success rate of 84%, while winning 4.4 total duels per game and recovering 3.9 balls per game, showing that the transition from France to England didn’t faze him at all.
In the top flight between January and May, Esteve ranked in the top 3% for interceptions (1.86), the top 9% for dribblers challenged (1.24) and in the top 5% for carries into the penalty area (0.14) per 90 among his positional peers, yet more evidence of how quickly he settled across the channel.
The defender is currently valued at €5.6m (£5m) according to Football Transfers, but the Championship side will be looking for a lot more than that for a player who only joined six months ago.
The youngster was hailed as “a true athletic phenomenon” by football talent scout Jacek Kulig back in 2022, and he has thrived since then.
O’Neil has a big gap to plug since selling Kilman to West Ham United. Could Esteve make the Englishman forget all about his former captain should he join the Old Gold this summer?
Only time will tell.
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