It has been a poor start to the season for Wolverhampton Wanderers. Gary O’Neil’s job has come under fire in recent weeks, with the Old Gold sitting second-bottom in the Premier League with just one victory on the board.
That win came against Southampton last Saturday, with the Midlands club getting a 2-0 win against their relegation rivals.
Indeed, that was their only clean sheet of the season so far. Wolves have been shaky defensively this term, conceding 27 times, which is five goals more than any other side in the top flight. However, they have performed far better from an attacking point of view and possess plenty of firepower in forward areas.
Wolves attacking stats 2024/25
It may well come as a surprise to many that the Old Gold have scored 16 times this term. Whilst that is not incredible, there are ten sides with fewer than them, including fifth in the table Nottingham Forest, and Fulham with the same amount.
Whilst their season has, on the whole, been a disaster so far, the Midlands outfit can surely only be happy to have been outscored by just eight sides, all of whom are 11th or above in the table. There are a couple of individuals, in particular, who are a big reason why their form in front of goal has been so good.
Of course, one of those players is Matheus Cunha. The Brazilian forward has been sensational this term, scoring five times and registering seven assists in the 11 Premier League games played so far. That included a match-winning contribution against Southampton, where he scored one goal and assisted the other to ensure the Old Gold picked up their first win of the season.
Another Wolves star who is having an exceptional campaign is Rayan Ait-Nouri. The left-wing back has taken his game to a new level this season, scoring three goals and grabbing two assists flying up and down the left flank. Impressively, this is already his best season from a goal-involvement perspective.
Summer addition Jorgen Strand Larsen is also having a good impact for the Old Gold. The Norweigan striker has scored four times so far, grabbing an assist along the way too. He joined on a loan deal from Celta Vigo, a move that will become permanent if certain clauses are triggered.
If that is the case, it might leave one Wolves striker, currently on loan elsewhere, out in the cold at Molineux. That player is Fabio Silva.
Fabio Silva’s Wolves salary
Portuguese striker Silva has had a strange career at Molineux, to say the least. He was just 18 years old when he joined the club in 2020. He signed from Porto for £35.6m, which was the Old Gold’s record signing at the time.
Now 22, the former teen prodigy has seen his career stagnate. His Wolves record is disappointing, with just five goals and six assists in 72 appearances. Of course, he is young, but it is certainly disappointing to see him struggling at Molineux.
Silva stats per season for Wolves (All comps) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Stat | 2020/21 | 2021/22 | 2023/24 |
Games | 36 | 26 | 10 |
Minutes | 1678 | 856 | 373 |
Goals | 4 | 0 | 1 |
Assists | 3 | 3 | 0 |
Stats from Transfermarkt | |||
Silva has had various loan spells over the years, playing for Anderlecht, PSV Eindhoven, Rangers and, this season, Las Palmas. His best return came for the Belgian giants Anderlecht, where he scored seven league goals and he has three in nine La Liga games this campaign.
However, Wolves’ patience seems to be running thing. According to reports, the Old Gold are believed to ‘want him off the wage bill’. It might not be viewed as a big loss to the club given he told SPORTbible in June that he “didn’t want to join Wolves” in the first place.
The centre-forward is a big earner too, pocketing £79k-per-week as per Capology. Incredibly, that is more than their biggest two stars combined. Cunha earns £60k-per-week, and Ait-Nouri just £10k-per-week.
It seems like it would be good for both club and player to part ways in January or the summer. Strand Larsen will potentially join permanently, blocking Silva’s pathway into the starting XI, and given he is on such a high wage, earning more than their best two players, it certainly makes sense to sell him as soon as possible.
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