Wolves need more new signings – and Jorge Mendes could potentially play a key role in the coming weeks.
Wolves have brought in three new players so far this summer – Fer Lopez, Jhon Arias and David Moller Wolfe.
Fans thought more would have come in at this point, and there is currently some concern given how many players have left.
Vitor Pereira wants more signings before the window closes. Ideally, he’d have them in before the opening Premier League game against Manchester City.
But it is very much looking as though Wolves will be operating right up to deadline day this summer.
Jorge Mendes is on the scene for Wolves this summer, with the restructure meaning Pereira and Teti are working closely with the agent – and journalist Johnny Phillips has shed some light on the current relationship between him and the club.
Jorge Mendes’ current relationship with Wolves branded ‘healthy’
Mendes has been associated with Wolves for many years now.
He played an integral role in helping to construct Wolves’ squad in the early Fosun years, and has undoubtedly facilitated some very good deals.
But Mendes has also been behind some moves that have not worked out at all – Fabio Silva and Goncalo Guedes to name a couple.
Wolves did not lean on Mendes so much while Matt Hobbs was the sporting director at Wolves.
But with Pereira and Teti now at Molineux, and following the recent restructure, Wolves are working with Mendes a bit more now – and Johnny Phillips believes it is a good thing.
He said on the Always Wolves Fan TV (Dazzling Dave) YouTube channel: “Regardless of what you think about agents – I’m not a fan of the concept of agents because agents take money out of the game.
“So there’s a certain amount of money in the game – it comes from broadcast revenue, season ticket money, supporters, sponsorship, advertising, merchandising, it comes from whatever, but there’s money in the game.
“Agents take that out of the game and for me that’s a bad thing because that money could have been invested in grassroots, a new Steve Bull stand, lots of different things. But instead it’s being paid to agents.
“But if we bypass that and the fact I don’t want agents in the game, do I think Mendes is good for Wolves and is it a good relationship? Absolutely.
“Because it gives us a USP, it gives us an edge. It gives us a place we can go to that other clubs can’t go to. Do I think he has Wolves’ best interests at heart? I think he has his own best interests at heart. But I think now, certainly since Hobbs has gone, he has a better relationship. He had a really good relationship with Wolves in 2016/17.
“Hobbs to some degree, part of the problem was that he was trying to make a name for himself. Hobbs did a lot of good stuff. I’m not going to badmouth Matt Hobbs, he did the best he could of the trying circumstances. But there’s no denying there was an element of pushing his own agenda.
“He pushed his own agenda, he absolutely did. So the fact he’s not on the scene is helpful for our relationship with Mendes. And that gives us an advantage. I actually think the relationship, in a world of agents, I actually think to have a relationship with Mendes is healthy.
Mendes was said to be trying to push Matthis Abline to Wolves, who want a new forward.
But Abline has reportedly rejected a move to Wolves, in a development that fans have become somewhat used to in this window.
Wolves and Vitor Pereira need Mendes to deliver
It is interesting to hear that Mendes’ relationship with Wolves is currently quite strong and how the exit of Hobbs has been the catalyst for that.
Wolves have clearly had success in the past by leaning on him and seemingly, there has been an acknowledgment that the club may benefit from that again.
The relationship with Mendes never went away when Hobbs was the sporting director, but there was no doubt that his influence wasn’t nearly as strong.
Now it seems he’s very much at the forefront of transfer operations once again.
And Wolves really need him to deliver in a big way, because what he does in these few weeks could really make or break the club’s season.
Three good quality players could well mean Wolves are looking more towards mid-table, which is where Pereira wants to finish, rather than over the shoulder at the relegation zone.