Sporting director Matt Hobbs says he’s excited to see what Bastien Meupiyou can achieve at Wolves but insists there’s no time pressure on the youngster.
Wolves have secured the signing of the 18-year-old, who progressed through the Nantes academy and has represented France at three separate age groups.
A central defender by trade, but also capable of playing in midfield and at left-back, Meupiyou arrives with a high ceiling according to Hobbs, who is pleased to make him the latest new signing at Molineux.
On Meupiyou’s signing
“This is our model and is probably our strength as well. We're very good at looking in that emerging talent market and I think Bastien’s got a huge amount of potential. Obviously, he had some time out last season with a knee injury, so we'll take our time with him, but he has an incredibly high ceiling and we're excited to help develop him.”
On Meupiyou’s profile as a player
“He’s very physical, very strong, very quick. But also, he's played lot at six, a lot at left back as well. It’s not often you can find a big, physical profile that comes with the ability to play on the ball and to play in all those positions.
“He fits what we think a Premier League player looks like. There's no pressure on him, he's a young boy, and we'll look forward to seeing how he develops the next couple of years.”
On how quickly he’ll settle
“His English is good, it’s really good, and so is his brother’s. All the children, the parents have made sure they've been really good at school – you can see that. So, with his English he understands just about everything. I always find once they understand, they'll pick up the words quick.
“I think he knows more than he's letting on, it is a confidence thing, so I think he’ll settle fine. We've got five French speakers in the squad, a couple who speak a few languages, so it'll be no problem because his English is at a really good level already.”
On his instant plan at Wolves
“If you can be a regular for us as an 18-year-old, then we're really happy with that, but I don't think there’s really a plan. It's like Pedro [Lima], we bring these players in to develop and help get them to the best level they can get to. A lot of that will be driven by themselves as well, and their work ethic, how they live as pros, and what they put into it, but we'll give them an unbelievable opportunity with the education they'll get there if they fully commit to it.
“I believe he'll get himself to the highest level he can, because he's driven to do that, and we’ll provide everything to support that. There’s no time pressure for him on anything, no set journey, just a really young, talented boy, and we're excited to have him here, and we're really excited to help him get to the best level that he can possibly achieve.”
