The wait goes on to see who will be named as Bruno Lage’s successor at Wolverhampton Wanderers, with the 46-year-old having been relieved of his duties after collecting just one win in 15 Premier League games stretching back to last term.
The current chatter is that ex-Sevilla head coach Julen Lopetegui – who was only recently himself sacked by the La Liga side – could well be the preferred candidate, with the Spaniard having previously been a target for the Molineux outfit in the past.
Despite the Old Gold’s current struggles – which have seen them pick up just six points from their opening nine top-flight games of the season – any new addition, be it Lopetegui or another, is set to walk into a dressing room full to the brim with undoubted talent.
One such key figure over the past five years has been that of Ruben Neves, with the Portuguese menace having been part of the club’s rise from the Championship to European hopefuls, having signed for the Midlands outfit back in 2017.
Lauded as ‘one of the best footballers Wolves have seen down Molineux in the last 30 years’ by pundit Dave Edwards, the 25-year-old has proven a hugely reliable figure during his time in England to date, scoring 25 goals and laying on 12 assists in 221 games to date.
Despite the £36m-rated man’s importance to the club – having been named captain following Conor Coady’s departure – it remains to be seen just what his long-term future will be, having been heavily linked with an exit in recent times with just under two years remaining on his current deal.
Having even admitted himself that he had expected to leave this summer, the indications are that a move away could be on the horizon sooner rather than later, with any new appointment at Wolves likely to need a different figure to build his time around.
That individual should seemingly be that of Neves’ compatriot, Matheus Nunes, with the former Sporting CP man having already caught the eye following his club record, £42.2m arrival back in August.
Dubbed “one of the best players in the world” by Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, the 24-year-old has no doubt lived up to the billing thus far, notably producing a sparkling display despite defeat to Chelsea last time out.
The Brazil-born starlet at one stage illustrated his quality by brilliantly surging forward from outside his own box to the opposition penalty area, breezing past a sea of blue as a marker of both his confidence and ball-playing strength.
That talent is also evidenced by the fact that the £40.5m-rated man ranks in the top 1% for dribbles completed among those in his position across Europe’s top five leagues, with the aforementioned Neves ranking in just the top 36% for that same metric.
A dynamic asset who plays on the front foot, Nunes has been lauded for his all-action style by former youth coach Ruben Franco, who stated: “Before he received the ball he was always looking where he could go next and he always passed to the other guys easily because he saw the game very clearly.
“He could be sitting in midfield and then in two or three seconds be on the edge of the box because he has a special gift to see the free space with a high intensity. We saw something special.”
As recent weeks have showcased, particularly with regards to his impact at Stamford Bridge, the Premier League is already seeing ‘something special’ from the playmaker, with any new manager likely to love the chance to work with such a “remarkable” ace – as dubbed by journalist Charlotte Duncker.
