A flawless transfer window is key to accelerate Wolves’ progression up the Premier League table in 2025/26, though Vitor Pereira already has a solid base to build from.
In his defence, he has the monstrous presence of Emmanuel Agbadou, who won the highest percentage of duels in the Premier League last term.
On the left flank, Manchester City-linked Rayan Ait-Nouri dazzled last term, scoring and assisting more goals than any defender in the top flight.
Meanwhile, Matheus Cunha needs no introduction up front. The 26-year-old plundered 17 goals in all competitions in 2024/25, with Cunha on the verge of joining Manchester United.
The Brazilian is arguably the most technically gifted forward Wolves have had in the modern era but when naming who he’d like to play with most, Dave Edwards snubbed Cunha by choosing one of his teammates instead.
Photo by Jack Thomas - WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
Photo by Jack Thomas – WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
Dave Edwards would love to play with Joao Gomes more than any Wolves player
During his decade at the club, Edwards reached cult hero status at Wolves, predominantly operating as either a box-to-box or attacking midfielder.
The industrious Welsh star was part of the Wolves squad that won promotion from League One in 2014, while also amassing 44 goals and 16 assists in 307 appearances for the club before exiting in 2017.
As someone who flourished as a number 10, the 39-year-old benefited from having someone behind him acting as a tackling-machine to win possession back.
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That is why he named Joao Gomes as the player he’d love to play with most from the current Wanderers side, explaining what makes him so ‘special’ via the Wolves official website.
“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.”
Where Joao Gomes ranked in the Premier League for tackles
Edwards said Gomes has improved in possession of the ball previously, but it’s his tackling and reading of the game that are his standout attributes.
Since joining the club at the start of 2023, Gomes has become one of the Premier League’s best ball-winning midfielders.
In 2023/24, only Joao Palhinha won more tackles than the Brazilian, while in 2024/25 he ranked third in the division behind Daniel Munoz and Idrissa Gueye.
Premier League players with most tackles 2024/25
Idrissa Gueye – 133
Daniel Munoz – 123
Joao Gomes – 116
Noussair Mazraoui – 115
Moises Caicedo – 114
A midfield destroyer alongside the calm and composed Andre, Wolves have an incredible engine room partnership that can dominate for years to come, as long as they can keep hold of them.