Bruno Lage’s perfect striker ‘allowed to leave’ amid Wolves transfer links

Wolverhampton Wanderers are set to prioritise signing a new striker in the summer in a bid to end their goal shortage.

Wolves are the fifth lowest scorers in the Premier League this season and Bruno Lage admits it could cost his team a place in Europe. Lage’s team have fired 15 blanks in their 33 Premier League games, including two in their last two defeats to Newcastle United and Burnley.

Raul Jimenez is Wolves’ top scorer with just six goals, while £35million striker Fabio Silva has failed to score this season. Lage has already admitted that he hopes to sign a third centre-forward this summer.

Describing the striker he would like to sign, Lage said: "You can also have a young guy to be that striker in the box to win the aerial duels. It's not to bring one guy to stay in front of Fabio, it's to bring one guy to have different profiles."

In-demand Reims forward Hugo Ekitike, 19, meets Lage’s requirements and Wolves have checked the striker out already this season. Competition will be fierce for a player who has scored nine times in 21 Ligue 1 games this term, with Liverpool. Chelsea and Manchester United all keeping tabs on him. Mega-rich Newcastle United made a £25m bid for Ekitike in January.

He is certain to leave Reims this summer though, as per club president Jean-Pierre Caillot. “In Hugo’s case, he would waste time staying with us. We refused an offer of €35m (£29m) this winter, which is a lot of money for a club like ours," Caillot told Europe 1 this week.

"That money will be used to grow and improve the club. Hugo will be allowed to go, and he’s probably going to leave. There wasn’t a big club that didn’t inquire for him.”