Wolverhampton Wanderers have conducted shrewd business in the transfer market in recent times, signing players for a cut-price before either making a huge impact on the first team or making the club a tidy profit.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde is just one example of the former, joining the club in a £12.8m deal last summer, producing many moments of magic, which includes his excellent strike against Nottingham Forest last weekend.
Pedro Neto is another excellent talent who has made the club a lot of money, joining from Lazio for around £18m in 2019, before leaving this summer in a £54m deal – making the club a £36m profit in the process.
Boss Gary O’Neil will be hoping new big-money addition Andre can replicate such deals, after joining for £21m from Brazilian side Fluminense.
He could potentially form an excellent partnership with one player who’s also started after his own move to the Premier League in recent times.
Joao Gomes’ stats for Wolves
During the January window in 2023, Wolves dipped into the South American market to secure the £15m signing of Brazilian ace Joao Gomes from Flamengo, with the youngster flourishing after his move to English football.
Since his transfer, the 23-year-old has cemented himself as a key player in Gary O’Neil’s side, making 52 appearances for the club – scoring on three separate occasions.
His subsequent form has seen interest from the likes of Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Tottenham – an indication of how impressive he’s been since his move to Molineux.
The addition of Andre could allow O’Neil to operate with an all-Brazilian centre-midfielder partnership, with the pair having the talent and potential to thrive together and push the club back towards a top-half finish in 2024/25.
However, despite the recent excellent dealings, they must regret letting go of one player who’s taken his game to another level after leaving the West Midlands two years ago.
Joao Gomes' market value in 2024
After coming through the club’s academy, midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White had huge expectations of being a monster talent at Molineux.
He enjoyed a stellar campaign on loan at Sheffield United during 2021/22, registering 20 goal contributions in his 35 appearances – with a place in the club’s first-team to be expected after such a successful stint.
However, he completed a £25m move to newly promoted Forest – a decision that, two years on, the club may have a "tinge of regret" about, according to journalist Neil Moxley.
Appearances
37
1st
Goals + assists
15
1st
Assists
10
1st
Chances created
74
1st
Big chances created
16
1st
Possession won in final third per 90
0.6
2nd
FotMob rating
7.24
1st
The “incredible” Gibbs-White, as described by former teammate Billy Sharp, received his first senior England call-up last week, a reflection of his impressive form at the City Ground, with the Tricky Trees subsequently demanding around £50m over the summer.
His subsequent value is higher than that of current Wolves star Gomes, who was deemed to be worth over £40m in the recent window, after his own impressive run in the Premier League.
After his achievements under former Wolves boss Nuno Espírito Santo at Forest, it’s understandable that many would regret the departure of the midfielder.
He has the ability to operate in tight attacking areas and create a moment of magic out of nowhere, something which O’Neil’s side often lacks in the final third in recent times.
Whilst they made a huge profit on an academy graduate, his talents would be perfect in the current Wolves, potentially handing them the perfect opportunity to push for a top-half finish this season.
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