Lage could unearth Wolves' new Doherty with swoop for "swashbuckling" £12m weapon - opinion

Wolves‘ issues at right-back have held the team back from progressing this season, with Nelson Semedo having struggled for consistent form and with fitness since arriving from Barcelona at the start of last season for £37m.

Back-up option Ki-Jana Hoever has also had a number of injuries over the last couple of years, as well as having been criticised by manager Bruno Lage for not being “prepared.”

The duo’s failure to fully win over the Molineux faithful will leave many wondering why the club didn’t secure a £5m deal for long-term target Djed Spence, with the then 20-year-old not being in favour at Middlesbrough despite his encouraging development.

This season, the English right-back has spent the season on-loan at Nottingham Forest, helping the East Midlands club towards play-off contention, as well as the FA Cup quarter-final, where they were unfortunate to lose 1-0 at home to Liverpool.

“I always want to push myself and play with the best players and best teams,” Spence said in the week. “Of course it’s an ambition of mine to play in the Premier League. I just want to keep improving and show everyone what I can do on the pitch.

“I need to stay focused, have tunnel vision and play well on the pitch.”

The right-back has received enormous praise throughout the season, including from former England striker now-pundit Ian Wright, who couldn’t speak highly enough of his performance against Arsenal in the FA Cup earlier in the season, which saw him earn a 7.7 match rating.

Wright said on his podcast: “Let me say, that was one of the best right back performances I have seen for a very long time. A very long time.

“If we are talking about right-backs performing at an unbelievable level, we’re talking Reece James and Trent