Wolverhampton Wanderer’s manager, Gary O’Neil has a squad at his disposal which can beat any team in the Premier League on their day.
The Old Gold have proven this throughout 2023/24, defeating Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, and Chelsea (twice) as they chase a top half finish in the league.
One key thing for O’Neil is how the squad seems to be clicking into gear at just the right time, and he can call upon players to perform across all areas of the team.
One of his most important assets is Max Kilman, as the defender has seen his market value increase rapidly.
How much Max Kilman cost Wolves
The centre-back actually arrived at Molineux for a transfer fee believed to be around £40k back in 2018 from Maidenhead United when he was aged just 21, and it has since proven to be a remarkable bargain.
He made his debut on the final day of the 2018/19 season and has since played 136 times for the Old Gold since joining.
Kilman has emerged as one of O’Neil’s key players and his market value clearly reflects that, as he is worth more than teammate, Mathues Cunha.
Max Kilman’s market value at Wolves
Following Kilman’s impressive start to the season, Kilman was targeted by West Ham United during the January transfer window but, having signed a new contract until 2028 just last August, the defender was valued at £40m by the Old Gold.
No move ever materialised and Kilman will remain with Wolves until the end of the season at least, but O’Neil will be desperate to keep hold of him.
Indeed, across the whole squad in the top flight, Kilman currently ranks first for accurate passes per game (46.6), while ranking second for accurate long balls per game (3.9), second for interceptions per game (1.1) and for clearances per game (4.8), clearly showing that he has shown excellent defensive ability and is one of O’Neil’s finest players across a range of metrics.
He was lauded by former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher in 2023, who said about the defender:
"Max Kilman at the back for Wolves, an ever-present for Wolves all season. He’s no-frills at centre back, he just gets on with his job and very rarely makes mistakes, hence why he’s an automatic pick no matter who the manager is."
Even though Cunha has been in impressive form himself this term, scoring 11 goals and registering seven assists, his market value according to Football Transfers currently stands at €28.9m (£24.7m), which is lower than the £40m price tag that Wolves have placed on the Englishman.
Only seven teams have a better defensive record than the Old Gold in the Premier League this season and a lot of that is down to how solid Kilman has been among a back three which regularly features Craig Dawson and Toti Gomes.
If O’Neil can keep this group together, then the club could be on the cusp of something special, and it marks a change from their relegation worries that plagued the side throughout the vast majority of the 2022/23 campaign.