Wolves may have achieved their goal of Premier League survival, but Vitor Pereira has ambitions of driving his side up the table.
Heading into their final game against Brentford on Sunday, the highest Wolves can finish is 14th but other results could see them end the campaign in 17th.
Wolves have Premier League prize money to play for, while others – most notably Matheus Cunha – will be playing their final minutes for the club.
Cunha is set to join Manchester United in a deal worth a reported £67 million with add-ons. Supporters will miss the magic that the Brazilian can conjure up on the pitch, though his attitude and flaky mentality won’t be missed.
With Vitor Pereira predicting ‘big things’ for Wolves, and perhaps hinting at his ambitions of a European finish, their replacement for Cunha must be spot on.
Pep Guardiola is a huge fan of Wolves target James McAtee
On Friday, it emerged that Wolves were interested in signing James McAtee from Manchester City as a possible replacement for Cunha.
McAtee, who Wolves also tried to sign in 2023, is available for around £25 million this summer, but is being eyed by several Premier League and European giants.
The chances of them landing the 22-year-old look increasingly slim, but if they do manage to capture him, City boss Pep Guardiola has already explained why he’d be perfect in Pereira’s system, citing his versatility as one main factor.
Speaking in December 2024, Guardiola said: “He can play on the wing, pockets, striker, three positions up top and what I was pleased with was every action he did was good.
“He didn’t make one wrong action, in the position we were defensively he grew up a lot in Sheffield, that period made him so, so mature.
“But he’s a player, in a generation we have at City that have been unbelievable, when you see Romeo Lavia, Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers, Macca, Liam Delap, Taylor Harwood-Bellis, they’re incredible players come from there and he was part of that generation, he captained them.
“But I always felt this guy could play with us, and I’m very pleased for him because he’s an incredibly lovely guy, trains really good and he wants these minutes.”
Guardiola hints at McAtee departure
Pereira wants to sign a number 10 this summer. The Portuguese boss is seemingly planning ahead of Cunha’s departure to Manchester United.
Guardiola’s comments on his versatility suggest he could fit right into the formation at Wolves, floating in behind Jorgen Strand Larsen and supplying him with quality service.
McAtee has only started three Premier League games in 2024/25, despite the remarkable talent he possesses, which demonstrates the world-class competition he’s had to face.
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But it also explains why he must move on from the Etihad Stadium this summer for guaranteed minutes, something Guardiola has already hinted at when threatening to quit if his squad isn’t streamlined.
“I said to the club I don’t want that [a bigger squad],” the Spaniard told BBC Sport. “I don’t want to leave five or six players in the freezer. I don’t want that. I will quit. Make a shorter squad, I will stay. It’s impossible for my soul to [tell] my players in the tribune [stands] that they cannot play.”
Pep later added: “As a manager I cannot train 24 players and every time I select I have to have four, five, six stay in Manchester at home because they cannot play. This is not going to happen. I said to the club, I don’t want that.”
It suggests he’s found it difficult leaving McAtee out of the side, and with his contract expiring in 2026, it will be interesting to see where he ends up.