Steve Bull has questioned Wolves’ decision to let one player leave the club in 2023.
Fans have seen plenty of very talented players grace Molineux since the club gained promotion back to the Premier League in 2018.
Fosun have had their critics, but on their watch supporters have enjoyed some tremendous talents.
In the summer of 2018, Wolves were looking to build a squad that would keep them in the Premier League.
In the end, Wolves finished seventh – and one man who quickly impressed at Molineux after signing ahead of that season was Joao Moutinho.
Moutinho arrived for just £5 million from AS Monaco, and it was fair to say that fans didn’t really expect too much, given he was 31.
But the Portugal international quickly set about showing he was still a class player, and was instrumental in helping Wolves finish seventh for two seasons running. He also helped Wolves to enjoy an impressive run in the Europa League and reach an FA Cup semi-final.
Moutinho left in 2023, and Steve Bull has been speaking about his exit in a new interview.
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Steve Bull questions Wolves over Joao Moutinho exit
Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images
Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images
The end of Moutinho’s time at Wolves was a little strange.
Towards the end of the 2022/23 season it was clear he was no longer a regular starter, with Neves, Matheus Nunes and new signing Mario Lemina all preferred by Julen Lopetegui.
Mysteriously, the maestro was absent from the club’s final three matchday squads, and it was recently suggested Moutinho had actually refused to play for Wolves.
Moutinho was said to be desperate to play one more season at Wolves. But the club did not offer him an extension, and seemingly, he didn’t like that decision.
Steve Bull has conducted a new interview with Portuguese outlet Zero Zero, and has suggested Wolves were wrong not to offer him a new deal.
He said: “I wanted them to stay with us for many years and I mean João Moutinho and Rúben Neves. In my view, they should come back one day.
“Moutinho is past his expiration date, but I think he had the conditions to have stayed with us for another year. I would have kept Moutinho, even to help the younger ones, to be a teacher in the dressing room.”
Wolves Moutinho decision remains mystery, but what a player
Photo by Jack Thomas - WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
Photo by Jack Thomas – WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
It is still unclear why exactly Wolves did not offer Moutinho a one-year extension.
But the likelihood is that he would not have been playing regularly if he had stayed, and Moutinho was also one of the highest earning players at the club. Maybe Wolves didn’t want someone earning what he earned to be mostly sitting on the bench.
Joao Moutinho for Wolves (2018-2023)
Appearances – 212
Goals – 5
Assists – 25
It was a slight shame how his time at Wolves came to an end, but he is undoubtedly one of the best players to ever wear the old gold shirt.
Moutinho just made the game effortless with his technical ability. But to talk about only that does him a disservice, because he also had the work rate to boot and enjoyed putting a foot in.
Conor Coady realised Moutinho was ‘special’ during the Portuguese’s first training session at Wolves, and that verdict was one many fans ended up sharing.