Gary O’Neil is reportedly eyeing a defender in the summer transfer window but it could spell bad news for Hugo Bueno.
After guiding Wolves to a 14th-place finish in the 2023/24 Premier League, Gary O’Neil will be eager to strengthen his squad this summer.
It’s expected to be a busy transfer window for the Midlands club, who will expect both departures and arrivals at Molineux.
While it’s integral that the squad is replenished with new faces this summer, not every member of the club will be happy to see competition arrive.
Wolves are interested in Famalicao defender Francisco Moura
Wolves want to sign Francisco Moura this summer, with the Old Gold’s interest now reported.
Portuguese outlet A Bola claims that the Midlands club are among the ‘main candidates’ to sign the 24-year-old in the upcoming transfer window.
The Braga academy graduate is said to cost a fee of around £8.5m, in what could be an attractive swoop for Wolves who will be eyeing cost-effective reinforcements this summer.
While signing the left-back would be a smart move considering doubts over Rayan Ait-Nouri’s Wolves future, it may not be good news for Hugo Bueno.
Moura interest is bad news for Hugo Bueno
The priority for Wolves will be to add more depth to the squad although, with depth comes competition which could unsettle some players.
In the instance of signing Moura, Bueno could feel somewhat unsettled by his presence, particularly if Ait-Nouri remains at the club.
If the Algerian stays at Molineux and the £8.5m target arrives, Bueno could see himself drop down to third in the pecking order.
It is a difficult scenario for the young Spaniard to consider, as he broke through into the first team under Julen Lopetegui over the 2022/23 season.
Unfortunately for the 21-year-old, injuries and the prominence of Ait-Nouri caused his game time to become limited last term, sealing only seven Premier League starts, via Sofascore.
| Per 90 statistics | Francisco Moura (23/24) | Hugo Bueno (22/23) |
| Progressive passes | 3.85 | 2.68 |
| Progressive carries | 1.94 | 3.57 |
| Key passes | 2.30 | 1.10 |
| Passes into penalty area | 1.36 | 0.69 |
| Shot-creating actions | 3.58 | 2.06 |
| Tackles | 1.67 | 2.27 |
| Interceptions | 1.00 | 0.69 |
Securing more minutes could be even harder for Bueno to achieve if Moura arrived, particularly when considering what the Portuguese jewel could offer O’Neil’s side.
As seen in the table above, the left-back, who has joined an ‘amazing’ group of Braga academy graduates – as per Jacek Kulig, could give O’Neil the final third presence he requires from his fullbacks.
Playing in the manager’s system as a wide defender, Moura’s playmaking talents could win over the boss’ approval, ahead of the likes of Bueno.
It would be a frustrating scenario for the 21-year-old, whose 2023/24 campaign was plagued with injury, stalling his progression as a result.
The capture of Moura would bolster O’Neil’s options at the back, however, could see Bueno slip further down the pecking order at Molineux.