Wolves have been told that one player who Bruno Lage overlooked is now worth 20x his original price.
Gary O’Neil impressed during his first season at Wolves, navigating his way to a 14th-place finish with an extremely limited squad.
The summer will be integral for the manager to replenish his team, with great importance also on retaining key players.
One player who rose to prominence under the manager was out of the picture at Molineux less than two years ago, in what has been a major turning point.
Wolves told Toti Gomes value has soared thanks to Gary O’Neil
A player who is now integral to O’Neil’s squad but perhaps sometimes overlooked is Toti Gomes.
The Portuguese defender slipped into the Old Gold’s back line early in the 2023/24 campaign and retained his spot in the starting XI from that moment on.
O’Neil switching to a back three was crucial to Toti finding a way into the side, although, his place hasn’t always been so clear at Molineux.
Speaking on The Keen & Judah Show, journalist Liam Keen recalled the 25-year-old being ‘disrespected’ by Bruno Lage.
“In my opinion, Bruno Lage really disrespected Toti Gomes, I thought he was more than good enough to be playing when players were out, or suspended, or injured.
“In Lage’s final game before being sacked, he started a back three of Max Kilman, Jonny and Ruben Neves, and left Toti Gomes on the bench which I thought was an incredibly poor move.”
Toti was recalled from his loan at Grasshoppers by Lage in 2021/22, yet had for his time to prove himself.
Fortunately, the Portugal international is thriving under O’Neil and is a player that Keen believes is worth far more than the price Wolves paid to sign him.
“There are certain things to work on but I think he’s a really good Premier League defender. Considering Wolves spent around £1m on him, he’s turned into a player who is worth 20x that easily now.”
Toti is so important to O’Neil
Keen’s comments on Toti’s rise in value ring true, with CIES Football Observatory estimating the defender’s value at €30m.
The versatile gem has shown O’Neil what he can offer to Wolves in the manager’s system, with his athleticism and reading of the game crucial to how the Old Gold operate.
Deployed on the left side of the back three, Toti has shown his all-round potential throughout the 2023/24 campaign, sparking positive passages of play on the left and providing defensive stability.
Wolves handed the Portuguese ace an improved contract in February as a reward for his work, telling of how highly the club value the 25-year-old.
O’Neil will be thankful that Toti remained patient after being out of the picture under Lage, with the defender becoming a key part of the manager’s plans at Molineux.