Wolves signing Bakary Sako hailed as a future star

Wolves today completed the £3m-plus signing of St Etienne midfielder Bakary Sako as boss Stale Solbakken tipped him to be a matchwinner.

The 24-year-old has penned a three-year deal to become the Norwegian's most expensive capture after Wolves saw off several clubs for his signature, with Lille and Stuttgart linked with him.

Sako is the seventh arrival under Solbakken after Bjorn Sigurdarson, Frank Nouble, Tongo Doumbia, Slawomir Peszko, Georg Margreitter and Razak Boukari, but the one that has excited him the most.

The former France Under-21 international, who had one year left on his contract with the Ligue 1 club, is seen as a potentially sensational player whose arrival is the biggest signal of the club's intent to return to the Premier League as soon as possible.

Left-footed Sako can operate on either wing, as an attacking midfielder or behind the striker and is looked upon to fill a large part of the attacking void with which Wolves have been left by the loss of Steven Fletcher, Matt Jarvis and Michael Kightly for a combined £27m.

A former Chateauroux youth team-mate of Boukari from 2002-06, Sako scored eight times in 36 games for St Etienne last season, after seven in 38 in 2010-11 and one in 30 in 2009-10, his first season in the French top flight.

"He can play on either side and also in behind the striker and has a great left foot which is something we're missing now in attack," said Solbakken, who is targeting more signings.

"He has great experience from playing in a top six or seven team in France over the last two seasons and hopefully he can be a matchwinner for us."

Solbakken has targeted the French top flight because he said its physical nature is similar to the Championship and Sako is the third signing from Ligue 1 after Doumbia and Boukari.

Sako said: "It will help that I know some of the other players from France and I'm sure that will help me settle in. I'm really happy to have signed for Wolves. I've always wanted to play in England because I believe English football suits my style. I hope to make a lot of assists for Wolves and score some goals as well."