Guardian writers’ predicted position: 16th (NB: this is not necessarily Ben Fisher’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)
Last season’s position: 16th
Prospects
Wolves surely crave a campaign where relegation is off the menu. After a nightmarish start to last season, they turned to Vítor Pereira to pick up the pieces and the Portuguese reversed the direction of travel, in effect ensuring survival by mid-March. Wolves proved they could win without Matheus Cunha when the Brazilian missed four games through suspension in the spring and have retained André and João Gomes, a menacing pair of midfielders, but there will be pressure on Jørgen Strand Larsen to repeat an impressive first season in which he contributed 14 goals.
The squad appears undercooked after another round of headline departures, with Cunha and Rayan Aït-Nouri who, combined, contributed to 59% of their 54 goals last season, departing for Manchester; Aït-Nouri played more minutes than any other Wolves player and of the five who played the most, three have left: Aït-Nouri, Cunha and Nélson Semedo. Fringe players have departed but Pereira wants a right-wing back to replace Semedo, the club captain who turned down a new contract in favour of a move to Fenerbahce, plus a striker and a midfielder. Wolves need the powerful Colombia winger Jhon Arias, a standout performer for Fluminense at the Club World Cup, to have an immediate impact.
The mood surrounding the club is subdued, with supporters frustrated at the owner, Fosun, owing to a perceived lack of ambition heading into their eighth consecutive season in the top tier. A winless pre-season served to exacerbate concerns that they will at best stand still, and now Newcastle have Strand Larsen on their bottomless striker shortlist. The death of Diogo Jota, an integral part of the most successful period in the club’s recent history, also hit hard, with one member of the backroom staff attending Jota’s wedding and his funeral 13 days later. Wolves will pay tribute to Jota before their game against Manchester City on Saturday, a visit that will bring the return of Aït-Nouri and provide Pereira an indicator of how much work there is to do.
The manager
Hoisting Wolves clear of trouble means Pereira has plenty of credit and he further endeared himself to supporters by mixing with them in the city-centre Wetherspoon’s. His “first the points, then the pints” mantra ended up on a banner at Molineux. Pereira is 57 – only David Moyes is older – and his Premier League opportunity was a long time in the making. He previously had job offers from Arsenal, Everton, Crystal Palace and arch-rivals West Brom. Now Pereira believes he is ready to prove why he is among the best managers in the division. “If I’m in the right place to challenge myself, I can do magic,” he said.
Off-field picture
Wolves announced a five-man “football leadership team” in June, led by the director of football, Domenico Teti, who has reunited with Pereira, with whom he worked at the Saudi Arabian club Al-Shabab. Teti replaced Matt Hobbs, the sporting director, who was influential in recruitment. The finances are broadly thought to be healthy after another summer of high-profile sales. The chair, Jeff Shi, has confirmed he would like to redevelop the Steve Bull Stand – the oldest at Molineux. “The next plan is to try to change a bit there and build more areas for hospitality for more business clients to come and enjoy there,” said Shi.
Star signing
Wolves hope Fer López, who in joining from Celta Vigo has followed a path trodden by Strand Larsen, will be their next gem. The 21-year-old attacking midfielder, a £19.5m buy, has shown plenty of promise despite only seven starts in La Liga last season. Perhaps it should be no surprise López, tracked by Wolves for several years, appears to have settled quickly; in 2018, aged 14, the Madrid-born player lived in Suffolk for three months, boarding at a private school near Stowmarket, and he trained with Norwich, until they told him he was too small, and with Bacton United 89 in Suffolk.
Stepping up
There is excitement around Mateus Mané, who this summer signed his first professional contract after being formally promoted to Pereira’s squad. The England youth international, who made his Premier League debut against Brighton in May after training with the senior group towards the end of last season, has in effect been fast-tracked into the first team, bypassing the under-21s after registering seven goals and four assists for the under-18s last season. The Portugal-born forward, 18 next month, joined Wolves from non-league Rochdale 18 months ago. He is eligible for Portugal and England and has made seven appearances for the latter’s under-18s. A Next Generation pick last year.
A big season for …
Ki-Jana Hoever, named after the former NFL player Ki-Jana Carter, has not featured in a competitive game for Wolves since March 2022 but the Dutchman is primed to begin the season at right-wingback. Hoever, who has spent the previous four seasons on loan, most recently at Auxerre, seized his opportunity in pre-season, impressing Pereira. The overriding sense earlier this summer was that Hoever’s days were numbered but Pereira has given the former Liverpool defender another chance. “I’m trying to do my best to take it,” he said last month. “I hope I can be important for the club.” Sasa Kalajdzic, the 6ft 7in striker, could add to his 14 appearances in old gold after several serious injuries.
