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LOUIE LEFEVRE ROUNDS UP THE LATEST NEWS FROM WOLVES ACADEMY
Three players secured loan moves away from Molineux on deadline day, a promising young goalkeeper will get his chance to play senior football for the first time and Wolves welcome a new academy keeper!
Pedro Lima found himself third in the pecking order of first team right wing-backs following the arrival of Jackson Tchatchoua and the return of Ki-Jana Hoever leaving the Brazilian looking elsewhere for the opportunity to play football this season. He had played twice in the PL2 for the U21s this season, but looked above youth football in his contributions to their unbeaten start to the campaign. Lima now moves to FC Porto for the season, likely to split his time between the senior side and the B team, who sit bottom of the Liga Portugal 2. The loan means that whichever side Lima plays for he will be matched up against senior professional clubs in Portugal’s top two leagues. Initial reports suggested that Porto would have an option to make the move permanent, though it now looks like this is not the case. Lima managed six appearances for Wolves last season, including an assist in the Carabao Cup victory over Burnley.
It was a torrid summer for Dexter Lembikisa, suffering a shock group stage exit in the Gold Cup at the hands of Guatemala and Panama before an unsuccessful trial with Charlton Athletic. All of this meant he didn’t appear in Old Gold for the duration of pre-season and found himself out of contention for the senior side despite a previous impressive cup display at Anfield to his name as well as the exit of Nelson Semedo. Now Lembikisa will get an opportunity to find his form and display the attributes that had made him one of the academy’s brightest prospects. He joins Lincoln City on loan until January for what will be his second successive venture into League One, having made 12 appearances for Barnsley last season. Now 21 and turning 22 in November, this could be the last chance for the Jamaican international to impress, especially with his contract expiring next summer.
Another 21-year-old whose contract will end next summer is Harvey Griffiths. The former Manchester City midfielder has found his time at Wolves hampered by injuries and completed a deadline day loan move to Crewe Alexandra which will last until January in the hopes of finally finding some consistency. His last loan move was back in 2023, when he made the switch to Walsall. He would only manage 4 appearances across all competitions before returning to Compton early in January. 2023 was a big year for Griffiths, as it also saw him make his Wolves debut in a Carabao Cup thrashing against Blackpool. He will also play for the Crewe U21 team, who compete in the Professional Development League, the second tier of English U21 football.
Finally, 17-year-old goalkeeper Josh Gracey has completed a one-month loan to AFC Telford United. The move is likely part of a wider deal that saw 21-year-old keeper Alfie Brooks move the other way. Brooks was previously part of the Birmingham and Stoke City academies, with first-team experience during a loan to Colwyn Bay. The new Wolves signing was on the bench for the U21s game with Real Madrid Castilla at Molineux. His arrival is likely due to low numbers in the position due to the flurry of loan activity out of Compton. Gracey was one of the best players at U21 level for Wolves last season, having stepped in to cover Lewys Benjamin as he left on loan. Now the Northern Irish youth international joins former Wolves man Stan Amos in the goalkeeping ranks at the SEAH Stadium, coming off the back of a first-ever U21 international call-up. Gracey played in goal as Wolves U21s defeated Telford 4-3 in a pre-season friendly this summer. He has already made his debut, receiving rave reviews following a 3-1 FA Cup Second Qualifying Round victory over Kidderminster Harriers.The Bucks currently sit 16th in the National League South.