Wolverhampton Wanderers must look back on the era of Nuno Espirito Santo in charge with a certain degree of fondness now, especially as the Old Gold look set for a battle against relegation this season in the Premier League under current boss Gary O’Neil.
It remains to be seen whether O’Neil will last in the Molineux dugout, but everyone at Wolves would have been gutted when their former manager departed in 2021, having once overseen two seventh-placed finishes in the top-flight.
However, even such a celebrated face like the 50-year-old was prone to a transfer misfire here or there when in charge of Wolves, as can be seen in these notable examples.
Nuno's worst transfer decisions as Wolves boss
For every Joao Moutinho and Pedro Neto that entered the building under Santo, there were the likes of Patrick Cutrone and Rafa Mir who failed to ever spark into life in their new English location.
Both flops would go on to only amass four goals between them donning an Old Gold strip, despite both joining with notable goal machine tags above their heads.
Likewise, there have been other examples where Wolves just haven’t quite got the best out of duds who have then gone on to be major success stories elsewhere, with Pedro Goncalves only making one senior appearance under the former manager’s guidance before then going on to explode into life at Sporting CP.
He now has a ridiculous haul of 138 goals and assists for the Lisbon giants from 190 clashes, with Wolves never getting the best out of the youngster when he was briefly on the books.
There were also other buys that bordered on the strange, which include a £10m deal for Benik Afobe going through in the summer of 2018, only for the ex-Arsenal youngster to then be sold on again to Stoke City that same transfer window for £2m more.
Afobe's career since leaving Wolves
Wolves clearly saw it as an easy way to make a quick profit, with the decision to offload him so rashly now looking to be the correct one, when you cast an eye at his playing days post-Molineux.
During the 2017/18 season under Santo, Afobe – who had previously scored 23 goals in just 48 games during his first spell for the club – did prove himself to be a useful asset to have in attack by scoring six times from 16 Championship contests, having been loaned in for his second Wolves stint from AFC Bournemouth.
But, there must have been uncertainty in the air in the West Midlands that he could deliver consistently, with that £12m fee too tempting when put on the table by the Potters.
The 31-year-old striker wouldn’t go on to set the world alight for Stoke either, managing a lacklustre return of nine goals from 51 games before being sold on to Millwall permanently in 2022 after many a loan spell away from the bet365 Stadium.
Club played for
Games played
Goals scored
Stoke
51
9
Bristol City
12
3
Trabzonspor
29
5
Millwall
65
15
Mesaimeer SC
2
0
Since exiting Wolves, Afobe has become somewhat of a nomad failing to nail down a long-lasting home, with a loan spell out to Turkey even greeting him when his time with Stoke didn’t quite go to plan.
Now, the London-born striker plays in the Qatari second division for Mesaimeer SC, where is yet to get off the mark from two clashes, with his current transfer value way off the £12m he once was worth when making that sudden switch to the Potters happen.
Instead, the former Old Gold number 19 is worth just £746k – according to Transfermarkt – as he attempts to make a name for himself in the Middle East.
Whilst Afobe grows used to another new club, O’Neil will be hoping the likes of Jorgen Strand Larsen and Matheus Cunha can fire in the goals to ensure Wolves don’t fall victim to relegation, a situation the club wouldn’t have contemplated with much worry when Santo was at the helm.
183 touches, 158 passes: Wolves flop who left in 2021 is now shining
Wolverhampton Wanderers could well have dropped the ball letting this flop go.
ByKelan SarsonDec 2, 2024
