Wolves fans are currently somewhat nervous about the season ahead – but a potentially exciting new partnership has been spotted during pre-season.
Vitor Pereira is overseeing his very first pre-season as Wolves manager, and took his first game on Tuesday against Portuguese outfit Santa Clara.
Wolves lost the game 2-1, but there were positive signs.
One of the big positives was Sasa Kalajdzic getting on the scoresheet, following his long awaited return from a serious knee injury.
Wolves fans were surprised by how sharp Kalajdzic was for his finish, and it will be interesting to see if he can build on it.
But another big positive for Wolves was that two players looked to understand each other very well.
Jorgen Strand Larsen and Fer Lopez hailed for link up play vs Santa Clara
Yesterday’s game against Santa Clara was the first chance for new signing Fer Lopez to get some minutes for Wolves.
Lopez arrived a month ago from Celta Vigo in a £19.5 million deal, and will hopefully prove to be another promising youngster who develops into a household name at Molineux.
It will take him some time to settle and get used to the Premier League.
But in Jorgen Strand Larsen he’ll have someone looking out for him.
The pair crossed paths at Celta, and were friends before Lopez sealed his move this summer, with the pair even going on holiday together.
And it seems they also like playing alongside one another on the pitch.
Journalist Nathan Judah said in his latest E&S diary entry: “Wolves seemed to go up a gear on the insistence of Vitor Pereira and Fer Lopez rose to the occasion.
“His work on the right was really positive, taking up the Sarabia role, but a lot more direct.
“The link-up play with Jorgen Strand Larsen was outstanding and should have yielded a couple of goals.
“It’s early days for Lopez and he will need time to adapt, but the signs are encouraging.”
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Lopez and Strand Larsen could be new deadly duo at Wolves
It is extremely encouraging to hear that Strand Larsen and Lopez have immediately hit it off in a game.
Of course it was only a training match, but it is positive to hear regardless.
Strand Larsen has lost two key suppliers in the form of Matheus Cunha, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Pablo Sarabia, and it is so important that Vitor Pereira finds a way to keep the ammunition flowing for his number nine.
Lopez could be that man, and Strand Larsen likes what he sees already, as he said of him recently: “He’s a really good player. A typical Spanish player, he reminds me a lot of Pablo [Sarabia] from last season.
“Really good technically and obviously he’s young, so he might need some time, but I think he’s already doing really well in training and doing good stuff. For a striker, to have someone like him around you is really good.”
Patience will be required over Lopez, but seemingly he is already showing he could be the new creator Wolves really need.
Hopefully we will see them combine for plenty of goals in 2025/26.