Gary O’Neil is looking to build on last season and has had a positive start to the summer so far – but there is one man he really ought to sit down and have a chat with.
Wolves have just finished up in Marbella, where they have been for the past week for the first part of their pre-season.
The players had some intense training sessions in the blistering heat, and had their first training match against Italian club Como 1907 on Monday.
Next up for Wolves is a trip to the US next week, and they will play three games while they’re out there.
Wolves’ squad for 2024/25 is going to be really interesting.
Three new faces have come in so far, with only Max Kilman leaving. But it is likely that more exits will be on the horizon.
One player who could well be on his way is Daniel Podence, a man who has been the subject of a lot of talk over the past week or so.
Daniel Podence still has a lot to offer Wolves
Last season, Podence went on loan to his former club Olympiacos, after Wolves could not find a buyer for him.
O’Neil had said that Wolves and the player’s goals were simply not aligned, and with that in mind, the manager did not want him as part of his squad.
Podence left on loan, extending his contract at Wolves in the process so that his value would be protected.
Podence enjoyed a fantastic season in 2023/24, scoring 15 goals and making 13 assists in 47 appearances. He helped Olympiacos to finish second in the Greek Super League, and become UEFA Europa Conference League champions. He was then named in the official Team of the Tournament.
Towards the end of the season, he scored a sublime goal against Panathinaikos that even drew applause from opposing fans
And earlier this year, Podence scored a rocket in a 4-1 win against PAOK, leaving former Wolves players Diego Costa and Matheus Nunes amazed.
Podence dropped hints about wanting to stay at Olympiacos. And recently, it was actually claimed he has bought a property in anticipation of a movie back.
He’s impressed in pre-season
- READ MORE: Keep, Sell, Loan – What Wolves need to do with last season’s outcasts for the 2024/25 campaign
Podence was something of a surprise inclusion for Wolves’ pre-season trip to Marbella.
The likes of Goncalo Guedes and Fabio Silva have both been linked with moves away from Wolves just like Podence, and did not travel with the rest of the squad. Presumably, this was because they are not a part of O’Neil’s plans and are free to try and sort out their exits.
But Podence was there, suggesting that maybe O’Neil might have a shred of hope of having him around for next season.
According to journalist Liam Keen last week, he looked ‘really sharp’ in training and his finishing was ‘superb’. Days later, Keen and Nathan Judah noted that he looked ‘in top shape’ during a brutal running session.
On Monday in the game against Como, Podence was sent off for retaliating after Hwang Hee-chan reported a racist remark from a Como player. He is said to have thrown a punch, which Podence has since apologised for.
But on social media, fans have praised the £60,000-a-week ace for standing up for his teammate.
While violence can never be condoned, one does wonder if Podence might just be really good for that dressing room.
It wouldn’t hurt for O’Neil to see where his head is at. At the end of the day, Podence is one of the most talented players Wolves own, and he’s provided some clutch moments for Wolves in the past. He is one of few who can provide those moments of magic on his day.
If O’Neil gets the sense that Podence will buy into his project, then he should be held onto.