Wolves have made some dubious sales over the years, but none as heartbreaking as this player’s departure…
Wolverhampton Wanderers have had some magnificent talent grace Molineux over the years, with Nuno Espirito Santo’s glory days now seeming light-years away.
It would be an understatement to say that the Old Gold has struggled in recent months, having fallen from the bottom of the standings on Christmas Day 2022 to facing financial difficulties and managerial changes late in the summer.
Gary O’Neil takes over the squad just four days before the start of the 2023/24 Premier League season, with the former Bournemouth manager given the daunting job of competing with an exceedingly fragile Wolves group.
The issue of managing the books while keeping a quality squad proved out of reach, as prominent stars were sold for a vital profit and only minor reinforcements were welcomed to help the club.
Following his side’s 3-2 Carabao Cup defeat to Championship side Ipswich Town, the manager claimed his squad is “£80m short” of quality due to the summer sales.
While Wolves made enough cash to sell stars like Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes, guaranteeing advantageous exits from Molineux hasn’t always been easy, with last season revealing exactWhen was Pedro Goncalves signed by the Wolves?
Pedro Goncalves, a 19-year-old Valencia academy prospect, moved from Spain to England in 2017 to become another Portuguese addition to Nuno’s newly created team at Molineux.
ly how badly the club messed up on one player in particular.
Prior to his move to Wolves, the adolescent was signed by the manager at Valencia, demonstrating Nuno’s admiration for the young winger, who had built his career in his birthplace before coming to Spain and then to the Midlands.
In the 2017/18 season, the forward made an immediate impact in the Old Gold’s academy, scoring four goals and assisting once in 16 Premier League 2 outings.
In 38 games for Wolves’ academy sides, the Chaves-born prodigy contributed to 13 goals, scoring nine times and assisting four others, indicating how successful he may be in the final third one day.
His academy coach at the time was current Luton Town manager Rob Edwards, who has since remarked that the forward’s development in senior football “does not surprise” him.
Despite receiving plaudits and making a strong effect in Wolverhampton, the Portuguese star left the club just two years after joining.
What became to Pedro Goncalves?
The explanation of Goncalves’ quick exit was considered to be a combination of missing home comforts and not seeing a way into the first team under Nuno.
The kid left having only played 28 minutes for the senior squad in the league cup against Sheffield Wednesday, far from the sparkle and glamour of the Premier League.
Unfortunately for both player and club, his entrance came at a key time for Wolves, who were performing well on their return to the Premier League, with talents such as Neves and Joao Moutinho dominating centre midfield, where Goncalves had been positioned at the academy.
It seemed improbable that the teenager would have advanced to the level he aspired, prompting him to make the mature decision to abandon his Premier League ambitions and return to Portugal.
Wolves sold Goncalves, known as Pote, to Famalicao for a cost said to be in the region of £1 million, kicking off a period of painful viewing for those at Molineux as their former academy player began to mature into a different beast.
Leave a Reply