Wolves strengthened their goalkeeping department with the signing of Sam Johnstone from Crystal Palace, leaving the future of Jose Sa in jeopardy.
After joining from Palace for £10 million on deadline day, Johnstone was thrown straight into the starting eleven against Nottingham Forest, as Wolves secured a point.
Supporters were left delighted with the performance of the England international, who showed why he deserved the number one jersey over Jose Sa.
Since arriving from Olympiacos in the summer of 2021, Sa has been the starting goalkeeper at Molineux. The Portuguese gloveman has played at least 35 games in each of his three Premier League seasons at the club.
Now, he’s experienced a rarity in Wolverhampton, with Johnstone currently the preferred choice at Wolves, which has understandably raised doubts over his future.
Gary O’Neil shares clear verdict on the future of Wolves goalkeeper Jose Sa
Sa was recently linked with a transfer to Saudi Arabia however, that move is now off and he looks to remain at the club till at least the end of this season.
The 31-year-old – whose contract expires in 2027 – now has a battle on his hands to wrestle back the number one jersey, with one Crystal Palace expert dubbing Johnstone a ‘top signing’ for Wolves.
That said, O’Neil does expect the £40k-a-week ace to play an important role at Wolves and expects him to stay and fight for his place with Johnstone, Dan Bentley and Tom King.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference ahead of the Newcastle match, O’Neil said, as per BBC Sport: “Jose will be here, he’ll fight with Sam for that spot. You don’t need me to sit here and tell you how many big saves he’s made and what he’s capable of.
“He [Sa] has his opportunity to fight for the place. I know the goalkeeper always feels different but every person who is playing knows that if there is a lack of form then there is someone there to take their spot.
“I expect Jose to stay, I expect him to fight Sam, Dan [Bentley] and Kingy [Tom King] for the goalkeeping spot.”
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Jose Sa’s situation shares parallels with Arsenal’s previous goalkeeping problem
It’s always frustrating for a goalkeeper who is second or third choice, as it’s unlikely they’ll get much game time.
That is a situation Sa could find himself in at Wolves, and one Aaron Ramsdale suffered through last term.
Ramsdale was the preferred number one at the Emirates but suddenly, David Raya took the number one jersey and never looked back.
From being revered by Mikel Arteta to rarely getting a sniff, making just six Premier League appearances last term, the 26-year-old has since completed a move to Southampton for £25 million.
If Sa isn’t careful and fails to usurp Johnstone from the starting XI, he could quickly find himself in a similar situation, where he’s not playing matches and wants to leave the club.
Time will tell as to how this situation plays out but it currently doesn’t look good for the Portuguese shot-stopper.