Wolves transfer news: Saint-Etienne starlet on radar of Premier League side, divisional rivals 'leading race'

Wolverhampton Wanderers have reportedly entered the race to sign a Saint-Etienne starlet this summer.

With Matheus Cunha on his way to Manchester United in a £62.5m deal, it is clear that Wolves will be in the market for a new forward.

Although Jorgen Strand Larsen is the clear first choice of Vitor Pereira, competition is required for the Norway international if the West Midlands outfit wish to make their way up the Premier League table.

Earlier this week, it is claimed that Wolves had started to give consideration to signing Millwall's Mihailo Ivanovic, who has just scored 12 times in the Championship.

However, as per L'Equipe, Wolves are one of a number of clubs interested in signing Lucas Stassin.

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Who is Lucas Stassin?

The 20-year-old has just enjoyed a productive first campaign at Saint-Etienne, contributing 12 goals and four assists from his 28 appearances in Ligue 1.

Although the Belgian does not possess the stature of Strand Larsen, ending the campaign with nine strikes from his last 10 appearances has not gone unnoticed.

With Saint-Etienne having been relegated to the second tier of French football, an array of teams are considering whether to try to take advantage of the situation.

Marseille, Lille, Rennes and Paris FC are all said to have taken an interest in negotiating a deal for a player who cost €9m (£7.58m) less than a year ago.

Furthermore, Sporting Lisbon are admirers as they consider how to replace Viktor Gyokeres.

Nevertheless, the suggestion is that West Ham United are the current frontrunners to win the race for the youngster.

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Is an exit inevitable?

With Stassin on a long-term contract, it remains plausible that Saint-Etienne could choose to retain his services for at least another year.

That said, interest from the Premier League may be difficult to turn down, particularly West Ham when they need a new first-choice striker.

While Stassin would be required to make a considerable step up in quality, he is a nine-cap Belgium Under-21 international, highlighting that he will soon be expected to challenge for a place in the senior squad.

Before Saint-Etienne, he chipped in with 11 goals and six assists from 32 appearances for Westerlo.

Written by
Darren Plant