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Here’s how the 14 players who left Wolves in the summer and winter transfer windows are getting on.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have had a busy 2024/25 in the transfer market with owners Fosun International continuing their controversial trend of selling big and buying cheap for the future.
The Old Gold have had a tricky season on the field with the prospect of relegation to the Championship precariously close for long periods, not helped by the approach in the summer transfer window.
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New manager Vitor Pereira has made a difference, though, securing vital wins against Leicester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa, AFC Bournemouth and Southampton to move nine points clear of the bottom three. Pereira got his wish in the recent winter window, too, bringing in three major permanent additions to bolster the defence and midfield.
Across the summer and winter, 14 players departed Wolves either permanently or on loan, while 11 new faces came through the Molineux doors. All the ins and outs disrupted the rhythm - at least initially - but the Old Gold are at least now in a comfortable enough position to likely remain in the Premier League next season.
How could Wolves have done if they’d kept hold of those who left, though? Without further ado, here’s a full run-through of how every player who departed in either the summer or winter has fared at their new clubs.
Mixed results for permanent departures
The most significant outgoings were both completed in the summer as talented winger Pedro Neto joined Chelsea for a stunning £51.3 million and towering centre-half Maximilian Kilman arrived at West Ham United for a whopping £40 million.
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Neto has taken a while to make his mark at Stamford Bridge - often deputising to fellow wide players Jadon Sancho and Noni Madueke - but he’s now a regular starter. The 25-year-old has scored three goals and made four assists in 26 Premier League appearances (16 starts) for Enzo Maresca’s side, currently fourth in the Premier League and fighting for Champions League qualification.
Kilman, meanwhile, has started all of West Ham’s 29 league fixtures this campaign, missing just 71 minutes of action when he had to be substituted off early against Southampton on Boxing Day with a knock. The centre-back has settled in well personally but it’s been an appalling season for West Ham, 16th in the standings with a disappointing 49 goals conceded so far.
Daniel Podence is another player who left Wolves in the summer. The 28-year-old winger left for Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Shabab for around £5 million and he’s had a mixed start, contributing one goal and five assists in 13 league matches so far. Injuries have stunted Podence’s progress, so it’ll be interesting to see how he does at full sharpness.
Bendeguz Bolla was another permanent summer departee, the right-back joining Rapid Vienna on a free transfer after never making an appearance for Wolves in in three years. The 24-time Hungary international has played 20 times in the Austrian Bundesliga, where Rapid currently sit fifth in the Championship phase.
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Luke Cundle left Wolves in January following a recall from a loan at Stoke City, joining Millwall for a mere £1 million fee. The central midfielder has already made nine Championship appearances for the Lions, scoring one goal. Millwall are currently 11th in the second tier, six points outside the play-off positions.
Finally, former captain Mario Lemina, who left Wolves after falling out with Pereira following a refusal to play away at Newcastle United, has made a decent impression at Galatasaray. Currently leading the Turkish Super Lig table with 22 wins and five draws in 27 matches, the Istanbul club are on track to complete the season invincible. Lemina has made six appearances since joining in February for £2 million.
Several Wolves loanees to return
Onto those who left Molineux on a temporary basis and there have been mixed levels of success.
Young attacking quarter Joe Hodge, Nathan Fraser, Tawanda Chirewa and Chem Campbell ventured out on temporary spells aware for more regular first-team football but not all were awarded that. Hodge has mainly been an impact substitute for Huddersfield Town with 22 appearances in League One and Campbell has scored three goals and made two assists in 30 matches in the same division, for instance.
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Fraser’s loan to Belgian Pro League club Zulte Waregem unfortunately didn’t go to plan as the striker played merely 93 minutes before being recalled in January. Chirewa’s season has been more complicated as the Zimbawean featured on just six occasions for Derby County in the Championship but has since played nine times in League One for Huddersfield.
Onto more senior players and full-back pair Ki-Jana Hoever and Hugo Bueno have benefited hugely from regular football. Hoever has made a superb 23 appearances for AJ Auxerre in Ligue 1 and has successfully helped the club up to 11th in the standings. Bueno, meanwhile, has been in and out of a Feyenoord side currently fourth in the Eredivisie. The Spaniard has played 15 times in the Dutch top flight and added a further nine appearances in the UEFA Champions League.
Chiquinho was involved in Wolves’ pre-season tour of the USA and looked set to be utilised this campaign before former manager Gary O’Neil decided to loan him out instead. The 25-year-old has unfortunately been a huge disappointment at Mallorca, playing just 156 minutes in all competitions this season. It’s been a surprisingly good campaign for Mallorca on the whole, however, as Jagoba Arrasate’s side are seventh in La Liga and gunning for UEFA Europa League qualification.
The most successful loan departee has to be centre-forward Fabio Silva. Widely considered a Wolves flop having scored just five goals in 72 appearances following his £35.6 million arrival from Porto in 2020, the 22-year-old is finally beginning to show signs of his potential on a more consistent basis.
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Silva is currently Las Palmas’ joint top scorer this season alongside former Everton striker Sandro Ramirez with eight goals in 20 La Liga matches. The attacker made his senior Portugal debut in a 1-1 UEFA Nations League draw against Croatia in November and has been tipped for a summer transfer to Atletico Madrid.
So then, what do you make of Wolves’ 2024/25 departees? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.