Wolverhampton Wanderers lost their first game after the summer transfer window slammed shut as they were beaten 3-2 by Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park in the Premier League on Sunday.
Who did Wolves sign this summer?
The Old Gold brought in eight signings to bolster the squad after the 2022/23 campaign, although Matheus Cunha and Boubacar Traore arrived on permanent deals after time on loan at the Molineux last year.
French talent Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, central defender Santiago Bueno, teenage forward Enzo Gonzalez, experienced goalkeeper Tom King, and right-back Matt Doherty, who has rejoined the club, were also snapped up on a permanent basis.
Meanwhile, Tommy Doyle signed on a season-long loan from Champions League champions Manchester City after Matheus Nunes' move to The Etihad. He is a creative-minded player who scored three goals and assisted four in 33 Championship outings for Sheffield United last term.
This means that they did not add a new defensive-minded midfielder to improve their backline, despite being touted with a swoop for Real Betis star Guido Rodriguez over the summer.
Did Wolves nearly sign Guido Rodriguez?
Italian journalist Rudy Galetti had told GIVEMESPORT at the start of August that Wolves were in contact with the Spanish side over a possible deal for the Argentina international.
However, there were no further updates after this claim and the defensive midfielder ended up staying with the LaLiga side beyond the end of the European summer transfer window.
This suggests that Wolves were either unable to meet the player's valuation or they were turned down by the 29-year-old brute, although it remains to be seen if the real reason will ever be revealed.
The experienced campaigner's contract with Betis expires in the summer of 2024 and this means that Wolves could, in theory, secure his services on a pre-contract deal in January if he does not put pen to paper on an extension before that point.
It is unclear as to why their move for the Argentine battler broke down but it appears to have been a mistake by the club as his statistics in recent years suggest that he would be a far better option than Mario Lemina in the middle of the park for Gary O'Neil..
How good is Guido Rodriguez?
The 6 foot 1 star, who won the World Cup with his country in Qatar last year, enjoyed a strong 2022/23 campaign with Betis in the Spanish top-flight as he showcased his defensive quality on a regular basis in midfield.
Rodriguez averaged a fantastic Sofascore rating of 7.07 across 34 LaLiga outings and made 4.6 tackles and interceptions per game for his side, whilst also winning 60% of his individual duels.
To put that into context, no outfield player for Wolves aside from Ruben Neves (7.23) averaged a Premier League Sofascore rating higher than 6.90 for Julen Lopetegui last term.
This came after the 29-year-old averaged a Sofascore rating of 7.05 over 32 league matches for his side throughout the previous season. In that time, the reported Wolves target made four tackles and interceptions per game and came out on top in 60% of his physical contests.
These statistics show that Rodriguez, who analyst Marcus Bring hailed as "brutal" and a "monster" defensively, is a superb ball-winner in midfield who is able to consistently cut out opposition attacks to break up the play.
In fact, the terrific midfielder ranks within the top 2% of his positional peers over the last 365 days across Europe's top five leagues for tackles per 90 (3.65). He also ranks in the top 10% for both blocks (1.71) and clearances (2.25) per 90.
Evidently, the Betis star is one of the best midfielders in Europe at winning the ball back off the other team by making challenges in midfield, which highlights his impressive strength, timing, and positioning out of possession.
Is Guido Rodriguez better than Mario Lemina?
Rodriguez's aforementioned statistics indicate that he would have been a big upgrade on current Wolves midfielder Mario Lemina, based on the former Southampton man's form for the club this year.
The Gabon international joined from Ligue 1 side Nice in January and started 17 Premier League matches during the second half of the 2022/23 campaign.
He averaged an unimpressive Sofascore rating of 6.68 across his 19 appearances in total in the division. This was the 17th-best score within the squad, meaning that he was far from being one of the team's outstanding performers, in spite of being a regular starter.
The ex-Saints dud made 2.7 tackles and interceptions per match and won 59% of his duels in midfield, whilst he also failed to score a goal or create a single 'big chance' for his teammates.
Lemina has started this season with an average Sofascore rating of 6.80, which is the ninth-highest in the squad, and started all four of the club's Premier League matches.
These statistics suggest that Rodriguez would have been a significant upgrade on the 30-year-old.
The proof is there that both midfielders do the majority of their work out of possession, failing to contribute much offensively with goals or assists. That said, the Betis star's defensive impact is far greater than Lemina's.
Such evidence means Wolves may well have made an error when failing to secure a deal for the Real Betis titan.
The team only finished seven points clear of the relegation zone at the end of the 2022/23 campaign and O'Neil's men have lost three of their four league matches so far this term, which highlights the precarious nature of their situation and why they must nail their transfer business in order to avoid relegation to the Championship.
Indeed, this is precisely why they could look back on their failed move for Rodriguez with regret this time next year.
The Argentine's presence in midfield could have improved their XI by coming into the team for Lemina, which could have had a positive impact on their results. The latter hasn't played badly by any means, but an upgrade certainly would have been no bad thing.