Insider explains why O’Neil should unleash £13m Wolves star who Neto thinks is ‘really good’ this weekend …
Wolves fell to an agonising 2-1 defeat against Sheffield United last weekend, but there was a first goal for Jean-Ricner Bellegarde – and Gary O’Neil should now consider handing him his first start against Tottenham Hotspur.
The Frenchman was the final signing of the summer for Wolves, joining for a reported £13 million.
Now, O’Neil should give thought to starting Bellegarde in Wolves’ next game against Tottenham…
Why Gary O’Neil should now unleash Wolves midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde on Tottenham
Bellegarde has only played 145 minutes of football so far for Wolves, and so the sample size is not massive.
Despite playing fairly little so far, Bellegarde has caught the eye.
On his debut against Liverpool he was probably the best player on the park for Wolves. Especially in the first-half. After that game, Pedro Neto said that Bellegarde had ‘really good quality’.
The following game, he was again playing well for Wolves against Luton Town but then picked up a red card after getting into a tangle with Tom Lockyer. That was disappointing, and he knew he’d made a mistake reacting in the way he did.
He would miss the next three games through suspension, and then he had an injury and did not make the squad against Newcastle United.
He returned on Saturday to play against Sheffield United, replacing Sasa Kalajdzic. He marked his comeback with a first goal.
What a goal it was, too. Bellegarde was on the edge of the box and curled into the top corner. It took a slight deflection, but it was still a fine finish from the 25-year-old.
And that goal threat is why Bellegarde needs to be in the team.
Prior to joining Wolves, Bellegarde had already scored two goals in three games for Strasbourg this season. He had also made a couple of assists.
He is an attacking midfielder who is all about output.
Bellegarde introduced.#SHUWOL pic.twitter.com/6dvsqxHiDJ
— Wolves (@Wolves) November 4, 2023
Wolves have just lost a player who is very much about attacking output in the form of Pedro Neto.
Therefore O’Neil needs someone who can produce goals and assists. Last season, Bellegarde scored two goals and made nine assists in 30 Ligue 1 matches.
While his primary position is as a central attacking midfielder, Bellegarde is comfortable operating in wide positions, further strengthening his case to come into the team while Neto is out.gar
He has looked impressive in a Wolves shirt so far, and maybe it is now time for him to start again so he can build on his first goal.
Perhaps having him as an advanced midfielder, with Mario Lemina and Tommy Doyle/Joao Gomes behind him could give the midfield a nice balance. A front two of Matheus Cunha and Hwang Hee-chan may also be the way to go.
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