Wolves must push to seal Leeds United deal after Lewis Dobbin miss | OneFootball

Wolves should target a move for Leeds United outcast Mateo Joseph this summer after Lewis Dobbin blow

Wolverhampton Wanderers' summer has begun relatively slowly, but things are beginning to pick up in the Black Country, as incoming boss Cesar Peixoto plots the Old Gold's immediate return to the top flight with a strong transfer window.

For the first time since 2018, Wolves will be competing in the Championship again.

The last time the Midlands outfit were in the division, they romped their way to the league title on 99 points under current West Ham United boss Nuno Espirito Santo, who arrived as a relative unknown at Molineux.

Now, Wolves are hoping to complete a similar trick with the appointment of Nuno's compatriot Peixoto, who replaces Rob Edwards in the dugout after the Welshman's shock dismissal.

Raul Jimenez and Kieran Trippier were signed before Peixoto arrived at the club, but the former Gil Vicente head coach has already made his first addition in the form of Comoros international Rafiki Said, who joins from Belgian side Standard Liege for £7.7 million.

With Jimenez and Said reinforcing Wolves' attacking options, Peixoto doesn't seem content with his selection of players in the final third just yet, and having missed out on the signing of one attacking star to a division rival, should turn their heads to Leeds United for another solution.

Wolves should consider a move for out-of-favour Leeds United forward Mateo Joseph

Action images

Wolves have continued their search for attacking reinforcements with interest in Lewis Dobbin, but the former Aston Villa forward has since decided to join Southampton after a £9 million fee was agreed with the Villains.

Dobbin, 23, scored ten and assisted eight in 39 Championship games on loan at Preston North End last season, and as a result, came under the microscope of the likes of Wolves, Sheffield United, and Middlesbrough as well.

Now, with Dobbin off the table, Peixoto and Wolves must turn their attentions elsewhere, and could do a lot worse than Leeds United's forgotten man Mateo Joseph.

Joseph, 22, was born and raised in Spain to a Spanish mother and English father of Antiguan descent, and is a relative of former England striker Emile Heskey, with his father being his cousin.

The Spaniard has represented both England and Spain at youth level, and having joined Leeds in 2022 from Espanyol, has gone on to score six and assist four in 73 games in West Yorkshire.

However, since the arrival of Daniel Farke in 2023, Joseph struggled to establish himself in the Leeds first team, finding himself behind the likes of Patrick Bamford and Joel Piroe in the second tier, and would manage just over 1,000 league minutes in 39 appearances in the Whites' promotion season of 2024/25.

Following their return to the Premier League, it was made clear to Joseph that, following the signings of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Noah Okafor, and Lukas Nmecha, he would have a minimal role to play in the squad, and was subsequently loaned out to Mallorca for the year.

Joseph scored twice and grabbed four assists in 30 appearances for the Balearic Island outfit, and now, upon his return to Leeds, will likely be looking for another escape route, as Wolves should put their name forward as contenders for his signature.

Upon his return to Spain last summer, the 22-year-old opened up on how he felt Farke didn't fully trust him in an interview with The Athletic, saying: "During this year and the previous one, I wasn’t entirely comfortable. Those weren’t easy years for me."

When asked why he barely played after a promising start to the 2024/25 campaign, he said: "That’s a question I ask myself too. And so do those around me. I think the coach didn’t have much confidence in me."

It's clear Joseph likely has no future at Elland Road, and Wolves should swoop to take advantage of this potential blunder from Leeds.

Capable of playing anywhere across the attacking line but best as a centre-forward, Joseph has proven he can work incredibly hard for the team off the ball; as per FotMob, the Spaniard made 69 defensive contributions across the course of last season.

Although he managed just two goals from an expected goals of 5.09, it would suggest that Joseph consistently finds himself in great areas to put the ball in the back of the net, though for one reason or another, he underperformed massively in front of goal.

Confidence could be an issue, though this is something that Wolves must be confident at ironing out, as if they can get a fit and firing Joseph, he could take the Championship by storm at Molineux.

Under contract at Leeds until the summer of 2028, the West Yorkshire outfit are likely to listen to offers for Joseph this summer, and Wolves ought to be at the front of the queue for his services, especially after missing out on Dobbin.

Action images

With Dobbin heading to Hampshire, Wolves and Peixoto will have no other choice but to turn their attentions elsewhere as their pursuit for more attacking options at Molineux continues.

The Old Gold will have one of the biggest budgets in the division this year, and are expected to use that to their advantage this summer with some key additions.

Joseph has ample time to improve his game at just 22, and on a cut-price deal, Peixoto would be remiss not to test the waters over a possible deal this summer.