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However, if a deal is to go through in the latter stages of today’s deadline, it may prove too late for Bellegarde to feature in Sunday’s game – ironically – away to rival suitors Crystal Palace.
Wolverhampton Wanderers could be set to arm Gary O’Neil with a new midfield weapon in the final hours of this summer’s transfer window in the form of Jean-Ricner Bellegarde.
Are Wolves signing Jean-Ricner Bellegarde?
It has been a turbulent start to the new campaign for Wolves with the departure of their now-former manager Julian Lopetegui.
Despite a promising performance at Old Trafford in their first outing of the campaign, Wolves found themselves without a point following their second game of the season. However, there was some cause for optimism following their win on the weekend with fellow strugglers Everton.
And with this summer’s transfer window coming to a close tonight, it seems as if the Wolves faithful could be handed another reason to cheer ahead of the weekend with a new midfielder potentially coming through the doors in these final hours.
Indeed, it has been reported that the Old Gold have reached an agreement with Strasbourg to buy the Frenchman for a fee in the region of £12.8m. And it is also believed that the club have already sent officials over to France to finalise the deal before the 11pm (BST) deadline.
Who is Jean-Ricner Bellegarde?
Bellegarde is a 5 foot 7 French midfielder who is still of a fairly young age at just 25-years-old. The striker has played his entire career in his homeland having joined Strasbourg back in 2019 from Ligue 1 side Lens.
The midfielder has experienced some difficulties in Ligue 1 in trying to find the back of the net. Indeed, across his last four full seasons in the French top flight, Bellegarde has provided a return of just five goals in his 128 league appearances.
However, he has made an extremely bright start to the new campaign have netted twice and provided two assists in his opening three Ligue 1 games. And he has shown some impressive signs of becoming a creative force from the midfield after providing his side with nine assists in the league alone last season.
But this is a player who will be brought to Molineux to provide O’Neil with some stability from the middle of the park as he ranks inside the top percentiles for progressive carries with an impressive 4.05 per 90 minutes, as per FBref, showing a fantastic ability to not only win the ball but to drive it forwards.
The midfielder has also been hailed as a “rising star” by the Ligue 1 website when the player was profiled last month. An “all-action midfielder”, Bellegarde has also been the subject of reported interest from elsewhere in the Premier League with Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace believed to have held an interest in the Frenchman.
Having already conceded five goals in their opening games of the campaign, a stern figure in the middle of the park could be just what Wolves need going forward.