It may not be have been confirmed just yet, but Wolverhampton Wanderers can begin planning for life in the Premier League next season, having all but secured survival following Saturday’s win over Ipswich Town.
In truth, Vitor Pereira’s men had already looked rather comfortable heading into that trip to Portman Road, albeit with the visitors showing a few early signs of nerves after the in-form Liam Delap pounced to steer the Tractor Boys into the lead.
To their credit, however, the Old Gold did not wilt even despite falling behind, with Pablo Sarabia dragging his side level late on, before man of the moment Jorgen Strand Larsen completed the turnaround with his 11th league goal of the campaign.
With 12 points now separating the two sides, it would take a remarkable collapse for Wolves to cede ground now with just seven games left to play, with new boss Pereira having superbly steadied the ship after a rocky start to 2024/25 under Gary O’Neil.
The Portuguese coach will now need to be handed the appropriate tools to help build on this momentum next season, albeit with there no doubt fears that the Midlands side could be raided for many of their key individuals – just as they were with the likes of Matheus Nunes.
Why Matheus Nunes left Wolves
There was no doubt a great deal of excitement at Molineux following what was a then-club record deal to sign Nunes from Sporting CP in the summer of 2022, with the Portugal international having previously been described as “one of the best players in the world” by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, amid his sparkling Champions League form.
It’s fair to say that the Old Gold didn’t exactly witness a player of that ilk during the midfielder’s solitary season at the club, as he scored just twice and registered only two assists in 41 games in all competitions.
There were notable highlights – including his stunning strike against Chelsea in May 2023 – yet such performances were few and far between, with Express and Star journalist Liam Keen stating that he had some real “had peaks and troughs in a Wolves shirt”.
Indeed, Keen also noted that he felt that Nunes viewed things as being “too easy for him”, with that attitude playing its part in his inability to really get going for the club, prior to being poached by Guardiola and Manchester City on a £53m deal in 2023.
That move to the Etihad had come amid Nunes’ refusal to train with Wolves, as he looked to push through a move, with sporting director Matt Hobbs certainly not mincing his words when discussing that turbulent exit:
“I was disappointed with how it ended, it wasn’t necessary the stance Matheus took, but we ended with a good resolution for everyone. Matheus is a hugely talented player but would admit that last season he didn’t hit the heights he expected, but it was a tough season for the team, so maybe he wasn’t allowed to do that.”
While Nunes did apologise, before stating that the “opportunity” to join City was one he “couldn’t let… pass by”, it marked a sour end to a disappointing end to his brief Wolves association.
Hopefully a similar scenario doesn’t occur this summer.
Wolves could now have their next Matheus Nunes
With Nunes out the door – as well as the likes of Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho in recent times – there has since been a real rebuild in the midfield ranks at Molineux, with Pereira now relying on the Brazilian pairing of Joao Gomes and Andre.
The combative duo were praised as a “quality” partnership by pundit Danny Murphy last month, while they were also lauded by their manager following Saturday’s win over Kieran McKenna’s side, with the pair having been “very good again” after dominating the game in the centre of the park.
The hope will be that neither man departs at the end of the season, with Pereira having seemingly found a winning formula. One high-profile figure who could be in line for an exit, however, is Rayan Ait-Nouri.
Like Nunes before him, the long-serving wing-back is being touted for a marquee move away from the Midlands side, with a fee of around £50m having been mooted for the 23-year-old, amid interest from the likes of Manchester United.
Previously described as “one of the Premier League’s best players in 2024” by Sky Sports journalist Dougie Critchley, the Algerian sensation has enjoyed another solid season at Molineux, chalking up eight goals and assists in the top flight thus far.
Also dubbed an “incredible talent” by former boss O’Neil, the France-born defender is actually noted as a similar player to Nunes among their fellow full-backs in the league this season, as per FBref, with the City man having been transitioned into that role of late, amid Guardiola boldly outling that the 26-year-old is “not clever enough” to feature more centrally.
Non-penalty goals
0.00
0.11
Assists
0.29
0.18
Shot-creating actions
2.50
2.33
Pass completion
86.1%
84.4%
Progressive passes
4.04
3.35
Progressive carries
3.60
2.40
Successful take-ons
0.96
1.69
Touches in opposition box
3.68
2.54
Tackles
1.91
2.72
Interceptions
0.88
0.74
The pair are notably alike with regard to their willingness to get forward from the defensive berth on the flanks, as evidenced by their assist record and touches in the opposition box, with Ait-Nouri a particularly dazzling dribber, as shown by the fact that he ranks in the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90.
With the current Wolves man seemingly the superior figure defensively, showcasing his qualities and all-rounder, it is no surprise that has caught the attention of elite Premier League clubs, having proven a real bargain following his £9.5m switch from Angers.
Like Nunes, Ait-Nouri could represent another marquee sale for Fosun and the Old Gold, albeit with the fleet-footed wing-back able to look back upon a far more fruitful stint at Molinuex, in contrast to his former colleague.
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