Vitor Pereira is thinking about the future at Wolves as the manager continues to learn the ropes.
After Gary O’Neil left Molineux in December, Pereira was hired with the goal of keeping Wolves in the Premier League.
The Wolves manager arrived when the Old Gold were sitting down in 19th, five points from safety, and fortunately, he has turned things around.
With nine games left to play, Wolves’ chances of being relegated are almost non-existent and now, Pereira is looking to the future.
Photo by Jack Thomas - WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
Photo by Jack Thomas – WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
Vitor Pereira’s support for Wolves’ academy
With the end of the 2024/25 campaign in sight, attention will soon turn to the upcoming summer transfer window.
Pereira will be eager to bolster his squad ahead of his first full season in charge, but new arrivals aren’t the only source of a boost in the manager’s eyes.
Speaking to the media, via Express and Star, the Portuguese coach shared his desire to give attention to academy players.
“I started my career in youth teams, firstly in the second division, when I went to Porto, I stayed there eight years, and I had the time to analyse the players.
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“To improve the level of this kind of player, these young players, and this is something that is in my nature now.”
Pereira went on to reveal that every week, he tests academy players among the first team.
“That’s why every week we bring players from the academy and I’m selecting the best ones for the future,” he said.
“We have three, four players in my mind now that I can imagine playing in our team in the future, for sure.”
More attention needed in the academy
Pereira’s desire to assess the academy is a breath of fresh air for Wolves, who have struggled in that exact area.
In November, it was noted that Wolves had given zero minutes to academy-trained players in the Premier League, signalling an area for improvement.
Wolves haven’t seen an academy star truly graduate since Morgan Gibbs-White, something that Pereira wants to change.
Next season could see a number of bright talents test themselves at senior level, with Pereira the perfect figure to nurture those hoping to make a breakthrough at Compton.