Pre-Season Preview: Wolves

After a very good season back in the Premier League for Wolves gaining European qualification, this season they will look to try and get into the top five and increase their points tally.

What a very successful season it was last season for Wolves. Back in the top-flight, qualifying for Europa League qualifications and only missed out on the top six by nine points. Raul Jimenez was top goalscorer for Wolves with 13 goals followed closely behind by Diogo Jota who scored nine goals.

Transfers

Raul Jimenez joined the club permanently for club record transfer fee of £34 million. Arrivals that followed Jimenez were: Pedro Neto from Lazio for £16 million, Patrick Cutrone from AC Milan for £16 million, Leander Dendoncker joined the club permanently from Anderlecht, Bruno Jordao joined from Lazio, Flavio Cristovao joined from Depportivo Aves and Jesus Vallejo joined on loan from Real Madrid.

The departures from the club included: Kortney Hause joining back with Aston Villa after they made his loan move permenant, Jack Ruddy, Michal Zyro and Ethan Ebanks-Landell all left the club on free transfers with Ivan Cavaleiro, Will Norris, Helder Costa and Rafa Mir leaving the club on 1-year loans.

Fixtures

Wolves’ first game is against top ten contenders in Leicester which will show which team is likely to finish ahead in the league with this early match-up, and the next game wolves take on Manchester United and this will see whether they are ready and prepared to take down the top six as the underdogs.

Two routine games with Burnley and Everton follow as Wolves will be looking to get all six points from these two fixtures and a game against Chelsea rounds off Wolves’ first five fixtures of the new Premier League season.

Nuno Espirito Santo

Nuno Espirito Santo briefly spoke about the player selection he had against Crusaders in the Europa League second-qualifying round and about how key it is to pick the right players.

“When we travel and have all the options it’s good. With the exception of Matt Doherty, everyone is available so for us as coaches that’s good.

“The squad is good, it still needs options – solutions. What (new signings) Jesus (Vallejo) and Patrick (Cutrone) are going to give us are more options to always choose a strong line up.

“Our idea is the same we’ll keep the same numbers of players because we trust the way we work and let’s hope for the best.

“We’ll train and decide (on the team to face Crusaders). All the players are at different levels of condition and we have to manage it all. But they are here so they are available of course.”

Targets

A realistic target for Wolves would be to qualify for Europe yet again as after a great campaign last season their fans will be looking to go one better as they charge for the top six and try and gain automatic qualification for the Europa League.

Expected starting XI

Rui Patricio; Conor Coady, Willy Boly, Jesus Vallejo; Jonny, Joao Moutinho, Ruben Neves, Leander Dendonker, Matt Doherty; Diogo Jota, Raul Jimenez.