Wolverhampton Wanderers' recruitment has seen them travel far and wide in recent times, with the club shifting their focus to South American talents over the last couple of transfer windows.
This summer alone, they completed deals for Brazilians Andre and Pedro Lima, aiming to sign talented youngsters at a bargain price, making an impact on the first team before potentially leaving for a hefty profit.
Santiago Bueno is another example, with the Uruguayan centre-back joining the club from Girona last summer after an impressive stint with the Spanish outfit in LaLiga, which saw him make 34 league appearances in 2022/23.
The aforementioned duo will be hoping to make an immediate impact in the Premier League this season, helping Gary O’Neil’s side push for a top half finish during the 2024/25 campaign.
Andre and Lima will be looking to follow in the footsteps of another Brazilian duo in the club’s first team who have hugely impressed after their respective moves to Molineux.
Cunha and Gomes’ stats at Wolves
Forward Matheus Cunha to this day remains the club’s record signing, joining back in 2022 from Atlético Madrid for a reported £44m.
The 25-year-old originally moved on loan with an obligation to buy, with Cunha enjoying the best goalscoring campaign of his career last season, registering 14 goals in 36 appearances in all competitions.
He’s often provided that moment of magic in the final third, as demonstrated in the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground last season.
As for Joao Gomes, he’s enjoyed a phenomenal start to life in England after his £15m move to the West Midlands, joining from Brazilian outfit Flamengo during the January window in 2023.
The 23-year-old has since featured 48 times in the Premier League, scoring three times, including a double against Tottenham Hotspur during the 2-1 victory in North London last season.
His subsequent form has seen him linked with the likes of Spurs and Liverpool – an indication of how impressive he’s been since making the move to Molineux.
However, another big-money move by the club hasn’t worked out anywhere near as well, with boss O’Neil needing to move on one current first-team member at the next opportunity.
How much Cunha and Gomes earn in 2024
Just a couple of years ago, Wolves splashed £27.5m on a deal to sign Portuguese forward Gonçalo Guedes from Spanish side Valencia on a five-year-deal.
However, he’s failed to prove his worth during his time at Molineux, scoring just one Premier League goal before returning to boyhood club Benfica for the second half of the 2022/23 campaign.
He subsequently was sent on two more loans, once again to Benfica, before moving to Villarreal for the remainder of last season, only scoring three goals over the two separate spells.
Guedes scored two goals against Burnley in the Carabao Cup last month, but he’s only managed 15 minutes of league football so far this season.
The 27-year-old currently earns a reported £90k-per-week as per Capology, a figure that is higher than both Cunha and Gomes, who only earn £60k and £30k-per-week respectively.
Goncalo Guedes
£90k-p/w
Pablo Sarabia
£90k-p/w
Nélson Semedo
£80k-p/w
Hwang hee-Chan
£70k-p/w
Matheus Cunha
£60k-p/w
Given his ridiculously high wages and little impact at Molineux, the club desperately need to cash in on Guedes to avoid losing a huge chunk of their investment on the forward, with the hope being that there can be an escape route in one of the few markets still open across the globe.
Their recent need to sell key players such as Pedro Neto and Max Kilman highlights the club’s financial situation, with O’Neil’s side unable to carry players along the way – especially when they’re earning as much as Guedes currently does in the West Midlands.
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