One player who was integral to Wolves’ rise under Nuno Espirito Santo has now become a free-agent.
Gary O’Neil has orchestrated an impressive start to the summer transfer window so far at Molineux, with three new faces already set to bolster the squad.
Tommy Doyle, Rodrigo Gomes and Pedro Limo represent the first captures of 2024/25, with striker Jorgen Strand Larsen also expected to arrive amid speculation.
While the focus is on O’Neil’s squad as it finally looks to be growing after a trialling 2023/24 campaign, some may have noticed that elsewhere that one former Wolves favourite is now without a club.
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Former Wolves star Rui Patricio is now a free-agent
In 2018, Nuno Santo captured the signing of Sporting CP goalkeeper Rui Patricio, who became an integral part of the Old Gold’s squad.
Patricio was introduced to the squad as Wolves were welcomed back into the Premier League, leading the club to successive seventh-place finishes after promotion.
The Portuguese veteran departed in 2021 as an offer to play under Jose Mourinho at Roma came in, seeing Wolves replace the shot-stopper with Jose Sa.
Now, three years down the line, Patricio has become a free-agent at the expiration of his contract in Rome, with his next destination unknown.
Currently, the former Wolves star is at Euro 2024 with Portugal alongside Sa, with a decision to be made on his domestic future after the tournament.
Patricio will always be a loved figure at Molineux
From his first moments in a Wolves shirt, Patricio was an adored figure in the Midlands, as one of his first actions showcased his class as a person.
The now 36-year-old refused to wear the number one shirt at the time of his arrival, insisting that the number was Carl Ikeme’s, who had just retired after a fight with Leukaemia.
As well as his class off the pitch, the Portgual international was regarded as a hero for his displays between the sticks, seeing him once dubbed ‘remarkable’ by former Express and Star journalist Joe Edwards.
127 appearances on from his debut, Patricio’s time at Wolves had come to an end, seeing him join Mourinho in Rome where he won the Europa Conference League in the 2021/22 season.
Now a free-agent, it will be interesting to see where Nuno’s star shot-stopper will take the next steps of his domestic career, as he officially bid farewell to Roma this week.