Wolverhampton Wanderers have reportedly started to look for replacements for goalkeeper Jose Sa.
In 2021, the West Midlands outfit opted to pay €8m to sign Sa from Olympiacos, the stopper being brought in to replace Rui Patricio.
The deal can be regarded as a considerable success, with Sa going on to keep 24 clean sheets from his 88 appearances in all competitions.
Just one of those shutouts have been posted in 2023-24, in a 1-0 triumph over Everton in August, and there was speculation over his future during the summer.
However, as well as recently extending his contract until 2027, Sa has played his part in Wolves' resurgence under Gary O'Neil since the beginning of the season.
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With a long-term deal in place, Wolves would ideally like to keep the 30-year-old as their number one, but it appears that they may have to have contingency plans in place.
According to The Sun, Sa is attracting interest from the Saudi Pro League ahead of the January transfer window.
The report suggests that Wolves are anticipating an approach from one of the teams in question and have started to identify alternatives to the newly-capped Portugal international.
Wolves are allegedly prioritising goalkeepers who are currently plying their trade abroad, presumably in the hope of finding better value for money than in the Premier League.
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Furthermore, it is alleged that Wolves would attempt to recoup as much as £40m for Sa, with the hope being that they can make significant progress in bolstering their FFP position.
Generating in the region of £150m through player sales in the summer aided that effort, but there have been conflicting reports over whether more exits must be facilitated.
While the report does not add whether Sa would be open to a move to Saudi Arabia, it points out the opportunity to earn another substantial pay rise.
Of the clubs owned by the Public Investment Fund (PIF), Al-Ittihad are most likely to enter the market for a new goalkeeper, providing that they part ways with fellow Portuguese Jota to free up a foreign-player slot in their squad.
Darren Plant
