Wolves managed to secure a 14th-place finish in the Premier League last season after being tipped by many to be in a relegation scrap.
The Old Gold were never in any danger of being in a relegation tussle, finishing 20 points above the bottom three, but it could have been a lot different if they didn’t have Matheus Cunha.
Gary O’Neil took the Brazilian from a confidence shot, goal-shy striker and transformed him into one of the most lethal finishers in the top flight.
Cunha went from scoring just twice in his first 20 appearances for the Wanderers to netting 14 goals and supplying eight assists in all competitions in 2023/24.
O’Neil deserves huge credit for turning his fortunes around after previously being branded a flop as the 25-year-old recorded the most goal contributions of any player in the Wolves squad.
Much like Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, Chelsea’s Cole Palmer and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins, Cunha became the talismanic figure for Wolves and one statistic demonstrates how vital he was.
How many points did Matheus Cunha win for Wolves?
According to Opta, as per the Athletic, Chelsea attacker Palmer won the most points for his side of any player in the Premier League, with his 33 goal contributions accounting for 26 points.
Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah is unsurprisingly second on 23 points accrued from his goals and assists while Cunha – who recorded 19 goal contributions in the top flight – won Wolves a whopping 15 points.
This places him in elite company with Arsenal’s Kai Havertz, Villa’s Leon Bailey and Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke, who all earned their side an extra 15 points.
For Wolves, that was the difference between them finishing in a comfortable 14th position to 17th, with only five points separating them from 18th place and relegated Luton Town.
Matheus Cunha can fire Wolves into Europe in 2024/25
It will depend on how well O’Neil is backed and whether key players such as Pedro Neto and Rayan Ait-Nouri stay but Cunha can certainly fire Wolves into Europe in 2024/25.
The Old Gold flirted with the idea for most of the campaign but their wafer-thin squad eventually crumbled as injuries took their toll and they ended up dropping down the table.
One win from their final 10 league matches was telling of their struggles but having done a magnificent job at Molineux, O’Neil has the tactical nous to take Wolves to the next level, as long as he’s backed.
A lot of positions need plugging between now and August, including a new centre-forward that the Wolves boss has been longing for, a central defender to challenge the ageing Craig Dawson and a new left wing-back as back-up to Ait-Nouri as their priorities.
If Fosun shows ambition in the transfer window and keeps their best players, something they failed to do last summer, the Wanderers could be a force to be reckoned with.