Wolverhampton Wanderers (Premier League Prognosis)

Wolves finished 13th in 2020/2021 Season on 45 points.

A strange season for Wolves last season, the quality they showed on the pitch did not necessarily match the results on the pitch and the 13th place they finished on. Since arriving back into the Premier League in 2018 where they finished an impressive 7th, Wolves have achieved the first goal on a promoted teams agenda, which is establishing themselves as a long-lasting Premier League club. The Portuguese overhaul may have helped this surging rise on their return to the first division, but since then Wolves have fallen off their standards and their initial hype and promise is dwindling. In 2020, Wolves finished 7th and have now plummeted into the bottom half of the table, which will be a real concern for the owners of the club Liang Xinjun and Guo Guangchang. The pair announced last year that they are adopting a policy of keeping their best players and have no intentions of entertaining any lucrative offers for their star players in Raul Jimenez, Adama Traore and Ruben Neves. Wolves were on the fringes of Champions League qualification in their first two seasons back in the league, another goal brought up by their owners. However, Wolves' exit from the Europa League in 2020 was a harsh reminder of the rise in quality in European football. Wolves have undoubtedly shown that they are capable of beating the big boys in the Premier League, but they are still in a development phase and people within the club, and of course the fans, might be hoping for too much too quickly. Wolves have such a young squad, with the average age being just 25. They also have established themselves as top-flight regulars quite quickly and have managed to keep hold of most of their key players. Wolves, if anything, were slowly building momentum in the shadows but this may have been derailed by the exit of Nuno Espírito Santo, a coach who has brought in a specific philosophy into the club and bonded so well with the players and fans. His exit will be a huge blow, and having held onto their star men, their true driving force has arguably departed. Former Benfica boss Bruno Large has replaced him, with Wolves obviously sticking with that Portuguese element within the side. His experience is yet to be determined, but there's no doubting his managerial prowess, winning the Primeira Liga with Benfica in 2019. There is no doubt Large will try and integrate his own tactics on the squad but will no doubt accommodate for the effective system that has instilled by Nuno. More new faces have arrived at Molineux in the form of another Portuguese prospect, Francisco Trincao, a player highly regarded by Barcelona and whom they have loaned to Wolves in a deal that benefits both parties. Wolves have also brought in RB Leipzig's Hwang Hee Chan on loan, further bolstering their already lucrative attacking options. The signing of Jose Sa from Olympiacos was made out of necessity, with the departure of Rui Patricio to Roma forcing this move. This could be another loss for Wolves ahead of the new season, although Jose Sa is an experienced keeper, playing at Champions League level with his former club. A new era for Wolves under Bruno Large promises another high-octane atmosphere at Molineux, with the hope that Wolves can push back up the table where their quality undoubtedly belongs.

MAJOR TRANSFERS.

IN- Francisco Trincao- (Barcelona, loan).

Hwang Hee Chan- (RB Leipzig, loan).

Jose Sa- (Olympiacos, £6.85 million).

Rayan Ait-Nouri- (Angers, £9.5 million).

OUT- Rui Patricio- (Roma, £10.25 million).

Ruben Vinagre- (Sporting Lisbon, loan).

Rafa Mir- (Sevilla, £13.7 million).