The genius Arsenal and Wolves swap transfer deal that would hugely benefit both clubs

Rayan Aït-Nouri isn’t a new name on the rumour mill, but the chances that the 22-year-old Wolverhampton Wanderers man will be on the move soon only seem to be increasing following reports that both Arsenal and Liverpool are interested in securing the Algerian’s services. That’s probably great news for Aït-Nouri and the club that buys him, but we wonder if Wolves couldn’t soften the blow by trying to bring an Arsenal player the other way should the wing-back choose to continue his career at the Emirates.

At the start of the season, most people assumed that Gary O’Neil’s biggest issue as manager of Wolves would be scoring goals, not an unreasonable thought given the way the last couple of campaigns went at the Molineux. Instead, thanks to the form of Matheus Cunha and Hwang Hee-Chan, that has turned out not to be a problem at all – instead, it’s the defence that needs some work.

Wolves’ back three – typically composed of Craig Dawson, Max Kilman and Toti Gomes – is far from the leakiest in the Premier League but still ships goals at a rate of over 1.5 per game, and it’s hard to get beyond lower mid-table with those kind of numbers. The three defenders they have are rugged enough, offer plenty of height to handle aerial balls and don’t make too many mistakes, but they also lack pace and aren’t especially proficient with the ball at their feet. As it stands, Wolves’ defence is distinctly limited.

So if Arsenal do decide to launch a bid for left-back Aït-Nouri to give them an option alongside Oleksandr Zinchenko, perhaps Wolves could look at asking for someone to come the other way as part of the deal – and the Gunners have a centre-half who isn’t getting regular minutes and could do with a fresh start, but offers a lot of the attributes that are missing up in the Midlands. Jakub Kiwior would make a lot of sense for Wolves.

The 23-year-old has not had the best of starts at the Emirates since signing from Italian side Spezia in January. He’s played in eight Premier League matches since the summer, either at centre-half or filling in at left-back, but has played fewer than 300 minutes in total and has struggled to string together consistent performances or build on some promising games at the tail end of last season.

An own-goal in the recent FA Cup third round defeat to Liverpool came not long after a distinctly ropey performance in the 4-3 win over Luton Town. There have been better games too, but he's looked uncertain in central defence and hasn’t been able to get forward in support of the midfield as effectively as Mikel Arteta would want him to when he’s played at full-back. It wouldn’t be shock if Arsenal were looking to move him on and cut their losses.

Which is where Wolves should consider entering the frame. Kiwior may not have been at his best this season, but he offers many of the qualities that they lack. For starters, he’s quick, especially over short distances. He has the burst of acceleration Wolves have needed all season – faster forwards have been able to generate extra space far too easily around their area, and the defence has been forced to either risk being exposed in behind or to drop deep and give up excessive amounts of room in front. A player like Kiwior would cover that weakness very effectively.

He’s also more comfortable on the ball than Wolves’ current back-line, and while he doesn’t run with it very often – not something O’Neil seems to want from his defenders anyway – his economical passing would add some composure at the back, and his completion rate is better than any defender currently on Wolves’ books. While at Spezia, he was often deployed as a holding midfielder because of that quality on the ball. It’s hard to imagine anyone asking Dawson to move up the field very far.

Kiwior strongest suit, however, is his positioning and movement off the ball, both of which are excellent, and the fact that he likes to defend more aggressively than the current Wolves back three, all of whom boast stellar numbers for clearances, aerial wins and blocked shots but can’t hold a candle to the Pole when it comes to tackles and interceptions. Kiwior snuffs danger out before it comes down to the last gasp, and that’s something the Wolves defence doesn’t do very well. They may be good at desperate work in the trenches, but they allow far too many chances in the first place. Kiwior, with his speed, movement, and knack for killing off opposing attacks at the root, would complement the current back three very well.

In theory, anyway. There’s no doubt that Kiwior is some way from top form and needs minutes on the pitch to build his confidence back up. The last six months have not been a happy period for him, and it probably wouldn’t be the worst idea if Arsenal moved him on, at least on loan, for him to get back into the flow of things - although there have been reports that they have rebuffed interest from Italy and Spain and don't want to let him leave this winter, at least.

Should that change in the future, then Wolves look like an ideal destination - and if it’s not him, then they need someone like him to make sure their defence doesn’t hold them back for too much longer. Wolves have improved beyond all recognition in many areas, and are playing the best football we've seen from them in some time - but they need to tighten up at the back if they're going to make their progress stick.