Wolves: Newcastle United transfer rumors center on the “extremely quick” teen phenomenon.
Wolves have a host of talent in their academy, with one name having an October to remember…
It was a difficult summer for those at Molineux, as the club battled financial woes which were aided by making lucrative sales of some star talents in the squad.
While the sales lifted the weight of the financial constraints, it left the team short of quality, “£80m short” to be precise as O’Neil quoted earlier this campaign.
There could, however, be a positive solution to the squad shortages, with Wolves knowing all too well just how beneficial unearthing an academy prodigy can be in the long run.
As the season runs its course, O’Neil could be tempted to rotate between his first-team squad and some fringe players on the cusp of a breakthrough from the academy set-up, with one name recently tipped to have a bright future.
Who is Fraser Harper?
17-year-old Wolves U18’s midfielder Fraser Harper was chosen as the Old Gold’s representative by the Guardian in their prestigious list of ‘Next Generation 2023’.
The publication selects an academy prospect from each Premier League club to showcase, with Harper the chosen one for the Midlands club this week.
It’s unsurprising that the 2006-born marvel was included in the column, with him already featuring for the U21s on occasion, years above his age group to highlight the quality he is showcasing so early into his career.
Described by journalist Ben Fisher as being ‘most dangerous as a No 8 or No 10’ the midfielder has been identified as the one to ‘kickstart attacks’ and use his ‘explosive pace’ to cause a threat from the middle of the park.
To add to his on-pitch quality, the teen is living his dream in sporting the Old Gold, coming from a family of Wolves season-ticket holders, explaining why he was pinpointed by Fisher to have an ‘exemplary attitude’.
For his future, and for his heart, Harper is desperate to make it at his beloved club, which he could do so by following in the footsteps of those before him.
What path could Fraser Harper follow at Wolves?
As mentioned, the Midlands club are well aware of just how fundamental it can be to unearth an upcoming prospect into the first team.
In the summer of 2022, Fosun made a fortune by generating a £42.5m profit from the sale of academy graduate Morgan Gibbs-White, selling the skilled starlet to Nottingham Forest as he aimed to seek consistent minutes in the Premier League.
The Englishman – who made 88 appearances for the club – spawned from the academy at Molineux before impressing momentarily to warrant a multi-million-pound move to the City Ground, steps that will inspire the likes of Harper who continue to grind in the youth sides.
While it seems as though the 17-year-old sees his future at the club he loves, he could take a lot of inspiration from Gibbs-White’s story, a player whose hard work has resulted in him being a renowned threat in the top flight – having been hailed as “the difference” for his side by BBC pundit Jermaine Jenas.
After signing his first professional contract last week, academy manager Jon Hunter-Barrett lauded the teen for his journey and quality, dubbing him “extremely quick” to reinforce just how much excitement the youngster could one day give Wolves
While there is still a long way to go in his career, Harper could take advantage of the weaknesses in the squad at Molineux in his bid to excel in the first team, with plenty of doors there to be opened by the lightning midfielder.
