Wolves splash out €35m on Krejci, despite average La Liga stats

One of the most surprising deals of this transfer window is Ladislav Krejci's move from Girona to Wolves. For the Catalan side, it represents a significant defensive loss, but an economically irresistible deal. From an analytical perspective, the figures involved make it a strange move indeed. 

Respected journalist Fabrizio Romano broke the news of his transfer to the English club, which is expected to be completed in the coming days, despite the Czech defender reportedly asking for a few days to consider his options. The £35 million fee is surprising, considering the player's release clause is just £30 million. This added value may be related to negotiating more flexible payment methods. 

An analysis of the Girona centre-back through BeSoccer Pro's data makes Wolves' ambitious gamble seem even stranger, despite their clear need for reinforcements. For a start, the market value of the Rosice-born player currently stands at just £17.4 million — almost half of what the English side are willing to pay.

In footballing terms, and within the context of Michel's somewhat underwhelming 2024-25 campaign, Krejci left a positive impression at Montilivi. Furthermore, the club signed him, believing that, at 26, he was ready to perform well immediately, while still having room to grow in a league as demanding as the Spanish top flight. However, his statistical performance was largely unremarkable when compared to the average for his position.

The former Sparta Prague man only stood out from his competitors in the league with his successful forward runs with the ball, ranking eighth with 214. This, alongside his 97 ball losses (26th highest in the league), reinforces his ability to step out of defence and adapt well to a holding midfield role. 

From a more purely defensive perspective, his figures were fairly unremarkable: he ranked 35th in defensive duels won (81), 20th in aerial duels (59), and 31st in 1v1s (8).  

When it comes to winning the ball back, he also didn't particularly excel: only 26th for recoveries (276) and 41st for interceptions (101). 

As the attached graphic shows, these analysed values do not place him in prominent positions compared to the top 10 centre-backs of last season in La Liga. 

While his numbers may not stand out in La Liga, he does represent a clear upgrade over the average Wolves centre-back from last season. So, in theory, cost aside, he'll arrive at Molineux to improve Vitor Pereira's squad.