Wolves take to the field for the final time in 2023/24 today as they close out the season with a game against Liverpool – and it could be the last time we ever see some players in old gold.
Wolves are looking to finish the season strongly, after weeks of poor results.
Gary O’Neil‘s players have just out of steam towards the end of the campaign, which was always going to be a possibility given the small squad.
Injuries have proven costly, and this crop of players are now rather crying out for the season to end.
They have all done a terrific job considering the chaos of last summer, and a reset is required ahead of 2024/25.
It will be very interesting to see what Wolves’ squad is looking like come the end of the summer window. No doubt there will be some people who play today who will no longer be around…
Pedro Neto
Pedro Neto still hasn’t made his return to action for Wolves after his second hamstring injury but the expectation is that Neto will make his comeback against Liverpool – and it might be his farewell appearance.
For a long time now, Neto has been linked with an exit from Wolves.
He has been electric this season when he has played. Unfortunately, we have not seen him as much as we’d have liked due to the injuries.
Neto has been with Wolves since the summer of 2019 and there is a feeling that it is his time to go this summer.
Wolves don’t need to sell, but making one big player sale can help O’Neil get multiple new players in to pack out the squad.
Many fans don’t want to see him go. But Wolves have shown they can be OK without him.
Rayan Ait-Nouri
A few months ago, Rayan Ait-Nouri would never have been considered for a list like this.
But the Algeria international has really stepped up for Wolves in 2024, and he has increased the size of the spotlight on him when Neto, Hwang Hee-chan and Matheus Cunha were all out injured.
Ait-Nouri has been wonderful for Wanderers, and it’s been great to see after Julen Lopetegui left him out of a string of matchday squads at the end of 2022/23.
£10 million gem Ait-Nouri – described previously by O’Neil as ‘mad’ – has just dazzled with his footwork, and come up with some important contributions – and it has led to interest from other clubs. It was recently suggested by Johnny Phillips that Ait-Nouri was actually attracting the most interest out of any Wolves player heading into the summer.
The youngster has an enormous ceiling, and it may be that a few clubs come calling. Should a huge offer come in, Fosun might just be tempted to sell. This would likely infuriate a lot of supporters, but the potential to reinvest in the squad may simply be too good to ignore.
Pablo Sarabia
Pablo Sarabia has had a very interesting stint at Wolves.
He came in midway through last season and struggled under Lopetegui, and he has spoken about the difficulties of adapting.
This term, Sarabia has been much improved on the whole. He started the season mainly as a benchwarmer, but the injuries to other players allowed him to come in and make an impact.
In all competitions this term, he has scored four goals and made 10 assists.
But Sarabia still has the capacity to frustrate, with some fans feeling he slows the tempo down for Wolves. While he is a top technician, he does not have the same explosiveness or athleticism as the likes of Neto, Cunha and Hwang.
It has been suggested that Sarabia – who is Wolves’ highest earner on around £90,000 per week – might be offloaded this summer. The club may want to free up his wages, and perhaps bring in someone who’s a little more dynamic and also consistent.