Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Gary O’Neil signed some quality players during the summer, but the Old Gold have failed to hit the ground running.
Unless things pick up soon, the manager could find himself under some pressure, no doubt about it.
Jorge Strand Larsen joined on loan in the summer, and Wolves will be hoping he enjoys a better temporary move than some of the previous signings who have joined on loan in the past, most notably Trincao.
Trincao’s Wolves’ statistics
The Old Gold signed the winger from Barcelona on a season-long loan deal in the summer of 2021, having an option to buy if he was successful.
In 30 matches, Trincao scored three goals, showcasing flashes of his talent at the Midlands side, but it was clear Bruno Lage wasn’t going to make his move permanent.
In a strange quirk to the deal, Wolves ended up paying the La Liga side £5m to not make the deal permanent following a clause in the loan agreement.
He has since joined Sporting CP, netting 26 times across 108 appearances at the time of writing. It didn’t quite work out for him at Molineux, and the club could have signed someone else instead that summer. A player who is currently starring for AC Milan – Rafael Leao.
Wolves missed out on signing Rafael Leao in 2021
Ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, it was reported that Wolves were keeping tabs on the winger as it appeared that Milan were willing to let him go for the correct price, with talks even held with the player’s agent, Jorge Mendes, over a potential deal.
It was certainly a missed opportunity for the club, as since this failed move, Leao has turned into one of the finest attacking talents on the continent.
Since the start of the 2021/22 season, the 25-year-old has scored 46 goals and grabbed 44 assists across 143 matches in all competitions, an incredible record.
Previously hailed as “unstoppable” by Milan legend, Fabio Capello, the winger has reached new heights during his spell in Italy, demonstrating his talents regularly for the Serie A side.
One that got away
The transfers that nearly happened but never did. This article is part of Football FanCast’s One That Got Away series.
According to Transfermarkt, the winger is now currently valued at an eye-watering €90m (£75m), which means Wolves will certainly not be able to lure him to the Midlands now, that’s for sure.
|
Rafael Leao’s AC Milan statistics |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Season |
Games |
Goals |
Assists |
|
2023/24 |
47 |
15 |
14 |
|
2022/23 |
48 |
16 |
15 |
|
2021/22 |
42 |
14 |
12 |
|
2020/21 |
40 |
7 |
6 |
|
2019/20 |
33 |
6 |
3 |
His valuation not only ensures he is the highest-valued player at his club, but he is also ranked as the 20th most expensive player according to market value in the world.
The 25-year-old has also impressed for Portugal, scoring twice at the 2022 World Cup as his nation crashed out at the quarter-final stage.
Imagine if Wolves had somehow pulled this transfer off. How good would Leao have been in the Premier League? It is a question no one knows the answer to, but it appears his desire to remain in Italy has paid dividends over the previous few seasons.
Trincao might not have been the worst signing Lage made, but considering Leao was a key target, it represented a major missed opportunity by the club.
