Wolverhampton Wanderers must wish they had a player like Raul Jimenez in his prime at the club right now.
Gary O’Neil may be able to call on the likes of Mathues Cunha and Hwang Hee-chan, who scored a combined 27 goals between them last season, but neither are truly prolific, out-and-out, strikers.
Goals are crucial for the Old Gold, when you consider that they have scored just three in the Premier League this term. Jimenez would surely score a bucket load if he was in the current side just now.
Raul Jimenez’s Wolves statistics
The striker joined the Molineux side back in the summer of 2018, just as the club were set for their first Premier League campaign for seven years.
His debut season produced 17 goals in all competitions as the Old Gold secured a seventh place finish, and it got even better during 2019/20.
The Mexican netted 27 goals in 55 matches, showcasing his talents in Europe too, as the club reached the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
As injuries began to take hold, Jimenez never returned to these heights again, registering tallies of four, six, and three over the following three seasons, before he was sold to Fulham last summer.
Raul Jimenez’s statistics for Wolves | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Season | Games | Goals | Assists |
2022/23 | 20 | 3 | 1 |
2021/22 | 36 | 6 | 5 |
2020/21 | 11 | 4 | 0 |
2019/20 | 55 | 27 | 10 |
2018/19 | 44 | 17 | 7 |
Cunha and Hwang stepped up last season for the Midlands side, but having a striker who is a traditional number nine would give O’Neil a major advantage, something which he lacked last term.
Might the club be brewing their next Jimenez with an academy sensation who could be ready to take the next step in their career? As Dani Angel looks like a promising talent.
Dani Angel could be the next Raul Jimenez
The 18-year-old signed for Wolves in October 2023, coming from a futsal background, yet the professional environment clearly didn’t faze the youngster, as he scored an impressive ten goals in just 18 appearances in the U18 Premier League last season.
“Dani is a pacy forward who wants to run in behind and score goals,” said Harry Hooman, the club’s head of UK academy recruitment.
“He will give our under-18s group something different and is coming in with a hunger to improve and show us what he can do at a higher level.”
The Spaniard has made the step-up this term, playing three games in the Premier League 2, scoring once, while even featuring for the club in their EFL Trophy match against Port Vale at the start of the month.
He failed to score or register a shot on target in what was a tough challenge against senior opposition, but the more Angel is exposed to these sorts of environments, the better he will become.
While it may be premature to say he could be the next big thing to come from the academy, Angel has demonstrated how effective he is in front of goal during his spell for the U18s.
Filling Jimenez’s boots is a tough challenge. Could Angel be the striker who eventually makes the step-up? Only time will tell.
