The 2025 summer window will likely be best remembered by Wolves fans for how many players left the club.
It was expected that there would be some outgoings at Molineux, with there usually being a couple of big sales plus some loan exits.
But there was an exodus in the window just gone, headlined by the departures of Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri.
Wolves are now paying the price for losing key players.
But one man whose exit did not prompt such a big reaction was Carlos Forbs, who returned to Ajax after a disappointing loan spell.
Forbs has admitted he lost his smile at Wolves due to hardly getting any minutes.
And the former Wolves winger could be forgiven for feeling a tad frustrated by one thing Vitor Pereira has done this season following his exit.
New Wolves system would have suited Carlos Forbs
A few weeks ago, Pereira sprung a surprise by using a back four.
He rolled it out against Everton in the Carabao Cup, and has started with it every game since, although he has switched to a back three with wing-backs in a couple of games.
It is generally accepted that Wolves look a bit better playing with a back four.
And clearly Pereira feels that way too.
And that must be somewhat annoying for Forbs, who did not get game time at Wolves because he did not suit the previous system.
Pereira admitted Forbs wasn’t right for that system, which uses wing-backs and number 10s. These are two roles Forbs doesn’t have experience of playing. He said back in May: “He must go back to Ajax and after we’ll see,” he said. “As I explained before, Carlos is a winger but to play in 4-3-3.
“He’s a winger, one against one. To do what I want in this system is difficult for him when we are defending. He doesn’t have the skill to go and come back to defend, it’s difficult.
“It’s not about his quality because he has quality, he’s strong one against one, he’s very fast. But in my system he cannot play inside in between the lines because he doesn’t have these skills.”
Forbs is an out-and-out winger, who likes to be direct and take on his man with speed.
Now, Wolves are playing with a system that uses natural wingers again. And Forbs would have suited this current system much more.
At the moment he is showing that at Club Brugge, who have primarily been using a 4-2-3-1 formation with Forbs operating on the right. He has done well, scoring three goals and providing three assists in 16 appearances.
A shame for Forbs, as Vitor Pereira now wants wingers
That Wolves are now using a system that uses wingers is a big shame for Forbs.
And what is potentially even more frustrating for him is that Pereira has now actually hinted Wolves need wingers.
He said after the defeat to Sunderland: “We changed the system. At this moment, we have a lot of players – the right players to play in the 3-4-3, but we are missing wingers.
| Carlos Forbs for Wolves (2024/25) |
| Appearances – 11 |
| Minutes played – 260 |
| Goals – 0 |
| Assists – 1 |
“Now we are trying to find solutions in the squad to add more wingers.”
It was perhaps no surprise that Wolves declined the option to buy Forbs permanently, given he barely played.
But the fact Wolves are now using a system that really suits Forbs may be disappointing for the player, who would surely love to impress in the Premier League.
That said, it’s so far, so good for Forbs at Club Brugge. He’s now getting regular football and furthering his development – and even getting to play in the Champions League.