Wolves are constantly punished for their top recruitment, often seeing their best players move on to bigger clubs.
That has been the case in previous summer transfer windows, including at the start of this one. Of course, Matheus Cunha completed his transfer to Manchester United earlier this month, while Rayan Ait-Nouri was unveiled as a Manchester City player on Monday.
Wolves were responsible for developing those two assets into top players before selling them for a combined £100 million. Last season, their influence on Vitor Pereira’s squad was incredible, as Cunha and Ait-Nouri amassed a whopping 32 goal involvements between them.
Now that arguably two of their best players have exited Molineux, replacements will be in the offing, with Wolves eyeing Barcelona’s Gerard Martin as a successor to the Algerian.
What’s more, selling both Ait-Nouri and Cunha in the same window highlights the importance of keeping the rest of their squad intact.
Joao Gomes roars during Wolves clash against Crystal Palace
Photo by Jack Thomas – WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
Matt Murray thinks Joao Gomes can become ‘one of the best’
There was no doubt that Cunha was Wolves’ most important player last term, but now that he’s joined Man United, that accolade falls at the feet of someone else.
Midfielder Andre is a contender to be Wolves’ best player now, although his Brazilian teammate Joao Gomes is someone who equally deserves the recognition.
Gomes was a ball-winning machine once more during the 2024/25 campaign, finishing third in the Premier League standings for most tackles.
Premier League players with most tackles 2024/25
Idrissa Gueye – 133
Daniel Munoz – 123
Joao Gomes – 116
Noussair Mazraoui – 115
Moises Caicedo – 114
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The 24-year-old has even been likened to N’Golo Kante for his incredible ability to win possession back, with former Wolves goalkeeper Matt Murray tipping him to become ‘one of the best’.
When asked which current player he’d love to play with most, Murray said via Wolves official: “I’m a big fan of Joao Gomes because I just love the way he plays and think he’s brilliant. I like him a lot and he’s a top player.
“We’ve got some very good young players now, but I think Gomes is right up there and has the potential to be one of the best.”
Dave Edwards agrees with Murray on Gomes verdict
After Gomes signed a new contract in April, Wolves supporters will be hoping their aggressive midfield talent will stay at Molineux for years to come.
Of course, with interest in his signature growing, it could be impossible to stand in his way eventually, with the Brazilian talented enough to play in Europe’s elite competition.
So, it was hardly surprising that, when asked the same question of who he would like to play with most, former midfielder Dave Edwards also said Gomes.
“In midfield, with the amount of tackles Joao wins and sets up counter-attacks, I’d love to be an attacking midfielder alongside him there,” Edwards said.
“He breaks up play so well, gets the opposition out of shape and if we could go quickly, get the ball out wide and I could get in the box unmarked while Joao Gomes picks up everything else around me. He’s a special, special player and I’d have loved to have played alongside him in the Wolves midfield.”
The fact that Murray and Edwards agree with each other arguably suggests he’s now Wolves’ most important player.