Although this table may not reflect it, Wolverhampton Wanderers have made huge improvements since the start of the year. Rob Edwards took a club full of misery and fear for the future and at least gave them a moment to remember.
It wasn’t enough to get them to safety, and clearly he didn’t do much, but Edwards prepared the club for a pivotal summer.
They have already acquired Adam Armstrong for the championship, but it remains to be seen whether that talented player will be enough to make up for the upcoming losses.
Wolves could face a talent drain this summer
It was hard to imagine big moves for nearly every player on the Timberwolves during the first half of the season. They are worryingly on track to break Derby County’s lowest points record and will be a tough sell for agents looking to move players away from the worst team in Premier League history.
But a few months later, the same team defeated Liverpool, held Arsenal to a draw and defeated Midlands rivals Aston Villa. The wolves may be on the decline, but they’re certainly ruining a few parties in the process.
Players like João Gomez are the party’s main pet peeve. The Brazilian has finally rediscovered the form that caught the attention of Manchester United in January.
They have dominated against Liverpool in particular, and a performance like this should once again attract the attention of Premier League teams. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising if he started something like a mass exodus from Molineux.
Most tackles in Premier League 25/26 | |
|---|---|
Joan Parinha (Tottenham) | 96 |
James Garner (Everton) | 90 |
Joao Gomez (Wolves) | 84 |
Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest) | 82 |
Tyrick Mitchell (Crystal Palace) | 82 |
How the Wolves will replace a player as physically gifted as Gomez is a big question, but he’s not the biggest player who could be headed for the exit door this summer.
Wolves head to Gibbs White 2.0
If losing Morgan Gibbs-White in 2022 was frustrating, losing a player with the potential of Matheus Mane will be an even bigger blow this summer.
When Gibbs-White set off to Nottingham Forest four years ago to cast himself as a villain, it didn’t seem like a great loss at the time. In 2022, this was a player at the top of the Wolves’ best team.
He certainly wasn’t established enough to reject Forest’s £42.5m offer and certainly wasn’t at the peak of his powers. Wolves clearly failed to realize the potential of their rivals after Gibbs-White went on loan to Sheffield United.
Wolves’ highest sales in history
Let’s take a look at the Wolves’ most expensive departures.
Now, four years later, they may be losing another young player before he has a chance to reach his full potential. This time it’s Mane who could earn big money and leave before finding success elsewhere.
wolf record | mane | gibbs white |
|---|---|---|
game | twenty four | 88 |
the goal | 2 | 3 |
assist | 2 | 1 |
With Manet, it’s a little different. Unlike Gibbs-White, who was involved in just four goals in 88 appearances for the club, Mane has already shown what he’s capable of. They wouldn’t be shocked if he finds success elsewhere, but relegation could leave them with no options.
Recent reports suggest the versatile forward is already worth £50m ahead of the summer transfer window, raising questions about how much he will be worth if he reaches his full potential at Wolves.
The Wolves, who already lost their talisman in Matheus Cunha last season, are facing the same problem a year later. Even they can’t deny that a player of Mane’s quality at just 18 years old deserves to play in the Premier League, and that’s something they can’t offer.
Back to the drawing board, the trend of young players losing out before they have a chance to reach the height of their powers seems destined to continue at Molineux.
The £14m Wolves star used to play like Cunha but now looks complete under Edwards.
He has lost his place in the side.
