Ki-Jana Hoever often divides opinion in the Wolves fanbase, but the club have a decision to make over his future as his contract expires at the end of the season.
Life for the defender has not been easy at Molineux. Since joining in 2020, he has not been able to get a consistent run in the team, and he has been sent on multiple loan moves in order to get game time.
In the summer, his path was made all the more difficult with the arrival of Jackson Tchatchoua, and with Rob Edwards now at the helm, he is not the pacey touchline fullback or wing-back the new head coach likes to have.
Signs certainly do point towards his future being away from the club, but it could be a mistake to just let him leave on a free.
Wolves need to protect Ki-Jana Hoever’s value
Whether or not you believe Ki-Jana Hoever is good enough to play for Wolves, the smart thing for the club to do is to try and protect his value with a contract extension.
When his current deal expires, Hoever will be just 24 years old, and if Edwards does deem him surplus to requirements, there would be some decent money coming into the club.
In a world of profit and sustainability rules, the Old Gold need to be wise when it comes to their finances, and missing out on much-needed income is not ideal.
He is a homegrown talent with Premier League experience, and the Wanderers know all too well how important those homegrown players are after failing to meet the maximum squad list for this season.
That alone could allow the club to extract more value than you would expect.
Tawanda Chirewa is likely to stay at Wolves despite needing a loan, simply due to the fact he is listed as one of the six homegrown players in the squad alongside Hoever.
This shows how valuable these players truly are.
Ki-Jana Hoever is not a Rob Edwards fullback
Ki-Jana Hoever does not have the traits that Edwards typically likes to have in his wide defenders.
At Luton, he had Chiedozie Ogbene running up and down the flanks with his speed, and Tchatchoua could be his Ogbene at Wolves.
However, Hoever would not be able to provide that, and the Dutchman’s attacking qualities do leave a lot to be desired.
The 23-year-old started his career out as a centre-back, so perhaps being deployed as one of the wide central defenders would be a better role for him under the new head coach.
Although the Old Gold are already well stocked in that position, it remains to be seen if there is room for Hoever in that department.
Time will tell what the future holds for Hoever, but regardless, a new deal seems like the smartest option.