Wolves have been a relatively low-scoring team in recent years, often relying more on big defensive performances to win games. The Old Gold haven’t scored more than 50 goals in a Premier League season since 2019/20, registering less than 40 in three of the last five seasons.
One of the players who did possess that extra quality in the attacking third, especially in counterattacking terms, was Pedro Neto, who moved to Chelsea for £54m this summer, with a £51.4m initial fee, plus £2.6m add-ons.
Neto made 24 appearances for Wolves last season, scoring three goals, providing 11 assists, and totalling 1,729 minutes played. One player who had all the ability to be as good as Neto, but has recently been sold, is Daniel Podence. Here’s what happened to him…
Daniel Podence at Wolves
Podence first joined Wolves back in 2020, signing from Olympiacos for around £16.9m. In his four years at the club, the Portuguese winger made 108 appearances, scoring 16 goals and providing nine assists in 6,027 minutes played.
At his peak, Podence was valued at €25.00m (around £21m) according to Transfermarkt back in 2020/2021. But it has been steadily declining since then, now reaching just around £11m.
The 28-year-old now finds himself playing in Saudi Arabia, having moved this month to Al-Shabab, for a fee of around €5.00m (£4m), with Podence yet to make an appearance for the Saudi side.
Podence’s comparison to Eden Hazard
The hype was once far larger for Podence, earning comparisons to a Premier League great following his performance against Leicester back in 2022, with pundit Darren Bent stating that “Podence reminds me of Hazard“.
First Impressions
What did pundits and fans alike think about their new star signing when they arrived? Football FanCast’s ‘First Impressions’ series has everything you need.
Hazard made 352 appearances for Chelsea, scoring 110 goals, providing 85 assists, and totalling 26,697 minutes played. So, these comparisons were always going to be tough boots to fill, but despite showing glimpses of quality, Podence never managed to provide any consistency or output at a high level.
Podence (21/22) vs Hazard (18/19) comparison | ||
|---|---|---|
Stats (per 90 mins) | Podence | Hazard |
Goals | 0.30 | 0.47 |
Assists | 0.15 | 0.36 |
Progressive Carries | 3.82 | 8.49 |
Progressive Passes | 4.55 | 7.72 |
Key Passes | 2.18 | 3.23 |
Shots Total | 2.34 | 2.65 |
Shot-Creating Actions | 4.00 | 6.96 |
Successful Take-ons | 2.12 | 4.65 |
Carries into Pen Area | 1.27 | 3.20 |
Stats taken from FBref | ||
Despite being compared to Hazard, the metrics aren’t close, with Podence not achieving the same output as Hazard in the peak of his powers, with G/A or other metrics, such as progression or carrying statistics.
The qualities the two had most in common, and perhaps the reason for parallels being drawn between the two, was their carrying style, ability to beat their man 1v1, and glide forwards with the ball. Whilst Hazard did this at an elite level, Podence did this similarly, just at a lower level and efficiency.
A carry is considered progressive if the ball is moved towards the opponent’s goal at least 10 yards from its starting point or is carried into the penalty area.
Often described as having a low centre of gravity, the great Belgian’s ability to change direction at speed, get away from his man, and draw fouls was his best trait, with some even putting him in the category of the dribbling greats, such as Lionel Messi and Neymar.
Podence may have had lots of quality, but an inability to show it on a consistent basis, providing efficency and output for his side, has seen him now move on to Saudi Arabia, where he will most likely play out his final years of football.
