Wolves fans have a laser focus on the transfer window right now, but there is also the small matter of tonight’s game in the Carabao Cup against Burnley.
Supporters have everything crossed for a strong finish to the summer window, after weeks of no incoming activity.
Wolves kicked off positively this summer by signing Rodrigo Gomes, Pedro Lima and Jorgen Strand Larsen.
But Wolves have been very quiet for weeks and the two defeats against Arsenal and Chelsea have left some a little nervous right now.
A win tonight against Burnley would help the mood – and it could be a fairly significant evening for Wolves winger Chiquinho.
Chiquinho needs a big display against Burnley if he is going to stay
Chiquinho is a player Wolves fans were so excited to watch ahead of the 2022/23 season.
He had looked really sharp shortly after joining the club for £3 million for Estoril, and was one of Wolves’ best players at the end of the 2021/22 season.
But he sustained a very nasty knee injury that summer, and did not play at all in 2022/23 as a result.
Last term, after initially going to Stoke City, Chiquinho found form on loan at Farmalicao and impressed while playing regularly.
He’s back with the Wolves first-team squad now, with Gary O’Neil seemingly ready to take a chance on him this season.
He got a short cameo against Arsenal, but then did not make the bench against Chelsea, which does underline his current status as a fringe player at Molineux.
In recent weeks, Chiquinho’s future has been the subject of speculation, with Gaziantep and Mallorca both reportedly keen on him.
Previously, Braga and Sporting CP have also been linked.
So there is perhaps a chance he could be a late outgoing. But tonight’s game against Burnley offers him an opportunity – play well, and he could be kept, fail to make an impact, and O’Neil may green-light his exit.
Chiquinho ‘ready’ for Wolves
Chiquinho features on the front cover of Wolves’ matchday programme for tonight’s game with Burnley, which may or may not hint at his involvement from the start.
The 24-year-old has stated that he is ‘excited’ to be back at the club, and he has made it clear he is a fan of working under O’Neil.
He said (via Wolves official): “The conversations [with O’Neil] were really good. The coach is helping me a lot, so I’m excited to be here. The most important thing we are working on is the movement, in a different way to play. He’s passed me confidence.
“Not every player has this chance to show again their value, and I’m lucky, and when the coach thinks it’s the best time for me to show that and give me the opportunity, I will be ready.”
If he is called upon tonight, he must make the most of his opportunity. Because competition for minutes in the Wolves attack is very strong right now.
It is not completely out of the question that Daniel Podence and Goncalo Guedes could stay at the club. If they both do end up staying, then Chiquinho cannot afford a poor showing against the Clarets.