Wolverhampton Wanderers have demonstrated a trend of recruiting Portuguese players in recent times, with some such as Diogo Jota, Ruben Neves, and Pedro Neto proving to be resounding successes at Molineux. However, the signings of players like Silvio, Ruben Vinagre, Francisco Trincao, and Goncalo Guedes did not pan out as expected, with Guedes notably struggling to make an impact after his £27.5 million transfer from Valencia in 2022.
Guedes, earning a substantial £90,000 per week, is reportedly seeking a move away from Wolves, with Villarreal showing interest. Another Portuguese player, Fabio Silva, brought in for a club-record fee of £35 million from FC Porto, has also struggled to make an impact, managing only five goals in 73 games for Wolves and enduring multiple loan spells. Currently on loan at Las Palmas in Spain, Wolves seem keen to offload him, with several clubs in Spain and Portugal willing to take him on next season.
Despite high expectations following his arrival, Silva has failed to live up to the comparisons made with Ruben Neves, with Wolves’ chairman Jeff Shi expressing optimism that Silva would develop into a special talent. Regrettably, Silva’s performance has fallen short of these expectations, leading him to be labeled one of Wolves’ worst signings of the Fosun era.
