Wolves’ pre-season schedule is underway as the squad continues to sweat it out in the Algarve sunshine.
The Old Gold are in Portugal for the first leg of their pre-season plans, putting the work in ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
For the first time, Vitor Pereira will have the chance to properly assess his squad, having joined the club back in December.
New signing Fer Lopez has been working with the Wolves squad, but the 21-year-old hasn’t been the only talking point from training.
Sam Johnstone is impressing in pre-season training
Several unexpected faces made the trip to the Algarve, including those linked with a transfer away from Wolves.
Fabio Silva is with the squad, as is Goncalo Guedes, whom Pereira has hinted could leave at some point this summer.
Another name linked to the exit door is Sam Johnstone, who only signed for Wolves last summer from Crystal Palace.
Johnstone has had a torrid time at Wolves since making the move; however, he’s the talk of the town in the Old Gold’s camp in Portugal.
Watching live from pre-season training is Liam Keen, who took to his Express and Star column to explain why Johnstone has been celebrated.
During a competitive drill that fired the squad up, the goalkeeper became a hero for his team.
“Sam Johnstone made a superb double save from close range, and the winning team then proudly posed for some pictures,” Keen noted.
The 32-year-old starred in the drill that consisted of four full-sized goals set up in a small area, which had one goalkeeper in each goal and three teams made up of outfield players.
Pre-season is a time for players on the fence to impress the manager, something that Johnstone is doing early into the schedule, but just how long will he be at Wolves?
Multiple clubs eyeing Johnstone
Gary O’Neil was slammed for how he handled Johnstone, as the former manager chopped and changed between the English shot-stopper and Jose Sa.
Such only created a sense of unsettlement in the team, something Pereira corrected by making it clear that Sa was his first choice.
Burnley are interested in Johnstone, as are fellow newly-promoted clubs Leeds United and Sunderland.
It’s expected that the former Palace number two will depart, but for now, he’ll keep up the impressive work in Portugal, where he’s made himself a hero in the squad.