Nuno Espirito Santo is responsible for unearthing some of the best players of Wolves’ modern-day history, but also some of the worst.
Ruben Neves, Raul Jimenez, and the late Diogo Jota, three examples from a group of players who will always be loved at Molineux.
Nuno’s Europa League-challenging side is immortalised in Wolves’ history, but that era wasn’t thrilling for all involved.
In 2019, Nuno looked to bolster his squad by signing Serie A goalscorer Patrick Cutrone, capturing the forward from AC Milan for £23m.
Patrick Cutrone blamed Nuno Espirito Santo for his Wolves failure
At the time of Cutrone’s arrival, there was real excitement, as Wolves had added a forward who had 27 goals to his name during his time at Milan.
Quite quickly, it became apparent that the Italian wasn’t going to be the protagonist at Molineux, instead taking up a role as a substitute, earning just three starts during the 2019/20 Premier League season.
It was unsurprising to see Cutrone return to Serie A just six months after making the move to the West Midlands, but for the player, there was no other option.
In a February 2020 interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport magazine Sportweek, conducted a month after his loan to Fiorentina was confirmed, Cutrone took aim at Nuno.
“Many people say I didn’t settle in, but that’s false,” Cutrone said, before revealing his ‘truth’.
“The truth is that the coach, Nuno Espirito Santo, had his group of faithful players who he would not give up, those who won promotion from the Championship.”
The £23m signing then accused Nuno of being ‘totally fixated’ on his favoured XI, something that he claimed he was not the only one to notice.
“He was totally fixated on that XI, always the same XI, and couldn’t see any of the other players in the squad.
“It wasn’t just me, but all of us who were outside that group.”
Cutrone only went on to play four more times for Wolves, with his career at Molineux ending with a record of three goals in 28 appearances.
What Cutrone has done since leaving Wolves
Jeff Shi branded Cutrone the ‘worst deal’ he’s done at Wolves, calling out the player’s character.
Based on what could’ve been and the money paid to sign him, the now 27-year-old is one of the Old Gold’s worst-ever pieces of business.
| Club | Apperances | Goals | Assists |
| Wolves | 28 | 3 | 4 |
| Fiorentina | 34 | 5 | 3 |
| Empoli | 31 | 3 | 2 |
| Valencia | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Como* | 102 | 31 | 12 |
It took the striker a fair few years to reach the heights he had at Milan again, after underwhelming loans at Fiorentina, Valencia and Empoli, before signing permanently for Como.
At Como, Cutrone has found a place where he belongs, scoring 31 goals since the 2022/23 season for the side managed by Cesc Fabregas.
Cutrone was eager to leave Wolves behind, and quite frankly, the feeling was mutual, with it being a transfer consisting of unfulfilled expectations from both parties.