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Is Agbadou the signing to keep Wolves away from relegation?

By James Eastham 12 Jan 2025
Emmanuel Agbadou

Ivory Coast defender could be the key to Vitor Pereira's squad staying in the top flight

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Following the signing of defender Emmanuel Agbadou from French club Reims, football writer and analyst James Eastham looks at what qualities he will bring to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Certain footballers’ profiles are fairly easy to read, but when it comes to Wolves' new centre-back Emmanuel Agbadou, all is not quite as it seems.

Standing at 6ft 4in tall with an imposing physique, you may initially feel that power and strength are his primary assets. And it’s true that, when necessary, Agbadou is capable of nudging an opposition forward out of the way.

Yet close followers of the 27-year-old Ivory Coast international, especially during the two-and-a-half-year spell that has just come to an end at Reims in France's Ligue 1, will have noticed that technical gifts are his most apparent qualities.

Few defenders in the French top flight in recent times have carried the ball out from the back as smoothly and confidently as Agbadou has, or so consistently picked the right moments to advance up the pitch.

His other attributes include line-breaking passes. The finest example came in Reims’ 2-2 draw against Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint-Germain at Parc Des Princes in March 2024.

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It was classic Agbadou: on the ball, just inside his own half, he looked up, spotted his Reims and international team-mate striker Oumar Diakite pulling off the shoulder of his marker, and played a quick, precise pass into the path of his colleague, who smartly dispatched the ball into the bottom corner of the net.

>A relatively late developer, Agbadou played for FC San Pedro in his homeland and US Monastir in Tunisia before moving to Belgium’s Eupen at 23, in 2020. In two seasons there, Agbadou shone while being used in several positions, including right-back, centre-back, and defensive midfielder. His versatility and distinct playing style attracted the attention of suitors in other countries.

"It was important to finalise the transfer quickly," said Reims general manager Mathieu Lacour on completing the deal for the player in June 2022, three months after he made his Ivory Coast debut.

"What stands out about Emmanuel, aside from his intrinsic qualities, is that he has raised his level whenever asked to, whether that be upon arriving in Europe and quickly becoming an automatic starter [at Eupen], or by breaking into the national team.

"He has performed well in different positions and systems, which is testament to his capacity to adapt."

EA ivroy coast

In France, Agbadou settled into a centre-back role and continued to progress. He worked hard to improve his concentration and the timing of his challenges, for example, after collecting three red cards and five yellow cards in 29 league appearances during his debut 2022/23 Ligue 1 season. Such application paid off and in his 43 starts since, there have been no red cards and only four bookings.

In 2023/24, thriving in both a back three and back four, he was widely regarded as Reims’ most consistent performer. This season, operating primarily as the left-sided centre-back in a four-man defensive unit, he has excelled once again thanks to his rare mix of technical skills and athletic prowess.

As Lacour said, Agbadou has raised his level whenever required. Now, in the Premier League, Wolves fans can look forward to him doing so again as Pereira's side strive to pull away from the relegation battle.

Premier League

Position Pos Club Played Pl GD Points Pts
15 Man Utd MUN 25 -7 29
16 West Ham WHU 25 -18 27
17 Wolves WOL 25 -19 19
18 Ipswich IPS 25 -27 17
19 Leicester LEI 25 -30 17
20 Southampton SOU 25 -38 9
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