Wolves sporting director Matt Hobbs has hinted at where Gary O’Neil might play new signing Rodrigo Gomes next season.
Wolves commenced their business in the transfer window early this summer, as the Old Gold welcomed Rodrigo Gomes to Molineux this week.
The 20-year-old becomes the club’s second official signing of 2024/25, taking into account Tommy Doyle’s permanent transfer from Manchester City.
Gary O’Neil’s side beat the likes of Atletico Madrid to acquire Gomes’ signature, with Matt Hobbs now sharing his thoughts on the 20-year-old.
Matt Hobbs hints at where Rodrigo Gomes could play at Wolves
Speaking after the signing of Gomes was announced by the club, via the official Wolves site, Hobbs, Wolves’ sporting director, shared his delight with the new arrival.
“It’s not important to get a deal done early if it’s not the right player, but this is the right player.
“It’s great for the club to do that. He’ll be an important player for us with his versatility, creativity, technical ability and attitude on the pitch. The fans will love him and I’m genuinely really excited to have him here.”
The early signs of Gomes’ profile are encouraging for fans of the Old Gold, who were given an insight into what they can expect to see from the Braga academy graduate by Hobbs.
“I’d call him a wide player who can play on either side. I’ve seen him play on either wing and centrally. His combination play is good, so he can play ten, but he’s primarily a wide man.
“It’s good if they can play a number of positions. Versatility just for the sake of it doesn’t work, but when they’ve shown quality, players like that really help, meaning we can have fewer players in one position.
“Primarily his job is to complement the attacking side of our game with his pace and delivery. Versatility is important because he can fill in a number of positions.”
Gomes is the perfect signing for Gary O’Neil
One of the key reasons for Wolves’ success under O’Neil last season was the manager’s ability to switch formation early into the campaign.
Moving from a rigid four at the back set-up to a more fluid back three with two wing-backs transformed the quality seen by the Old Gold.
The change wouldn’t have been possible if O’Neil didn’t have the players capable of being flexible, which makes Hobbs’ evaluation of Gomes particularly encouraging.
Interestingly, at Estoril, the 20-year-old played right wingback, with the capability to both defend and push forward, despite primarily being an attacker.
Now, the Wolves boss has another player who is positionally versatile in his arsenal, suggesting that the Portugal U21 star will be one to watch next term.