Wolverhampton Wanderers have experienced the full circle of Premier League highs and lows since their promotion to the top flight back in 2018 under Nuno Espirito Santo.
The glory days of the Portuguese boss are over, as the Old Gold continue to ride the wave of financial restrictions and change in the managerial department while keeping afloat in the Premier League.
Last season saw three managers take charge of Wolves, with Bruno Lage handing the torch to Steve Davis on an interim basis following his dismissal in October when the club were in the relegation zone.
Davis had a challenging time too, with the squad sitting bottom of the table on Christmas Day shortly after Julen Lopetegui’s arrival, leaving the future looking bleak.
The Spaniard somehow revived the side to a 13th-place finish, however, it was a wake-up call for the Midlands club, who had dipped from their 10th-place finish the year before.
All of Lopetegui’s on-field efforts seemed to be unravelled in the summer as the extent of the Financial Fair Play (FFP) issues were revealed, leaving the former Real Madrid boss departing his post just five days prior to the season.
With no money to spend, a shrinking squad due to player sales to generate revenue and a rapid change in manager as Gary O’Neil took charge, things needed to begin to look up for Wolves, which they eventually did in questionable fashion on deadline day after the sale of Matheus Nunes.
What happened to Matheus Nunes?
Just days before the transfer window closed, Manchester City emerged as potential buyers for Wolves star Mathues Nunes.
The treble winners submitted an initial bid of £47m for the midfielder, which was rejected by the Midlands side for the valuation sitting way below the figure they had in mind that could sanction a sale.
In retaliation, the 25-year-old refused to train with O’Neil’s side, which subsequently forced the move to be completed as City returned with an increased offer of £53m.
After just one season at Molineux, the Portuguese called time on his stay and moved on to pastures new at the Etihad.
How much did Wolves sign Matheus Nunes for?
Signed by Lage in the summer of 2022, the arrival of Nunes was highly anticipated after excelling through the ranks at Sporting CP.
The versatile midfielder was captured for a price of £42.2m by the Old Gold in a club-record deal, telling of his ability and the excitement that came with his transfer.
Moving to the Premier League was a dream scenario for the Brazilian-born gem, who boosted his earnings significantly by making the switch, earning £85k-per-week at Wolves compared to his £8.5k-per-week made at Sporting.
During his year at the club, Nunes picked up over £4m in earnings, however, the question remains if his price and talk surrounding the transfer was lived up to at Molineux.
How many goals did Matheus Nunes score?
Described by journalist Pedro Sepulveda, via Sky Sports, as being “one of the best players in Portugal” and “one of the best midfielders nowadays” at the time of his move to the Premier League, the excitement hit a real high in the Midlands.
At Sporting, the midfielder scored eight goals and registered nine assists in 101 appearances in all competitions, playing predominantly in attacking midfield to showcase his flair and trickery.
It was hoped that the youngster would follow in the footsteps of those before him as a Portuguese international thriving in the middle of the park at Molineux, with Ruben Neves and Joao Moutinho being the pacesetters.
Matheus Nunes League Record
Club
Season
League
Apps
Goals
Assists
Wolves
2022/23
Premier League
34
1
1
Sporting CP
2022/23
Liga Portugal
2
1
1
Sporting CP
2021/22
Liga Portugal
33
3
2
Sporting CP
2020/21
Liga Portugal
31
3
2
Sporting CP
2019/20
Liga Portugal
10
0
0
Adapting to the Premier League is commonly proven to be a difficult hurdle to overcome for foreign players arriving in the English top flight, a task made even more difficult if introduced to a team without the stability of a consistent coaching team.
During his time at Wolves, Nunes worked under Lage, Davis and Lopetegui while battling in a squad experiencing poor form and difficulty in the final third, as highlighted by the Old Gold finishing the 2022/23 campaign as the league’s lowest scorers.
With a record-breaking price tag comes responsibility too, and it remains a discussion as to whether Nunes was able to carry the weight, ending his Wolves career with one Premier League goal and one assist in 36 appearances.
The one strike was nominated for the goal of the season, which makes the far-from-impressive numbers a tad easier to swallow, however like some before him besides Neves and Moutinho, Nunes could not make it happen in the Midlands.
Were Wolves right to sell Matheus Nunes?
Described by podcaster Harry Mansell, who features on the award-winning The Wolves 77 Club podcast, as being “underwhelming” following his arrival, the 25-year-old left Molineux far from a fan favourite.
Speaking to Liverpool fansite This Is Anfield, Mansell was quizzed about the Portuguese ahead of the Reds' matchup with the Old Gold, where he went on to say that the midfielder had “not lived up to the hype at all,"
There was so much surrounding Nunes’ arrival, ending with his abrupt departure after making little impact in his first taste of Premier League life.
Bidding farewell to club captain Neves earlier in the summer was a tough pill to swallow considering the contribution the 26-year-old had consistently made to Wolves over the years, contrasting to the emotion behind the goodbye to the £42.2m man.
The sale of Nunes was a huge disappointment considering the player’s sulk to force a move, as well as the deal happening so late in the window, however, it was a blessing in disguise for O’Neil’s squad.
With the money generated from the sale, the English manager was able to recruit the deadline day signings of Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Tommy Doyle, who joined on an initial loan with the option to buy.
The two signings were pivotal for the depth on show in the weathered squad at Molineux, as well as providing Fosun with the funds required to relieve the financial tensions.
Gaining a marginal profit for the player who provided a single goal during his Premier League spell in gold can be classed as one of the rare wins for Wolves in the summer, in a sale that could be fundamental to the current squad’s development.