Recent reports have linked a Wolves player with a move away from Molineux but they aren’t interested in selling him.
Wolves are currently soaking up the sun in the United States as they prepare for the new Premier League campaign. On Saturday, Gary O’Neil’s men play West Ham before facing assignments against RB Leipzig and Crystal Palace.
In the background, O’Neil is continuing to eye recruits in the transfer window after capturing Pedro Lima, Jorgen Strand Larsen and Rodrigo Gomes, while a deal for Tommy Doyle was made permanent too.
But the Wolves boss is also facing interest in his players. The Wanderers have already parted with captain Max Kilman, who joined West Ham for £40 million, while others are being sniffed at
The latest player to be linked with a move away is Spaniard Hugo Bueno, with Scottish giants Celtic making a fresh attempt to sign him after enquiring about the defender in January.
Wolves ‘not interested’ in selling defender Hugo Bueno this summer
Bueno had to settle for a sporadic role at Wolves last term as he made 22 appearances in the Premier League but only seven of those were starts.
The 21-year-old, who can operate as a left wing-back or in central defence, struggled to dislodge the likes of Rayan Ait-Nouri, Toti Gomes and Kilman for a place in the starting XI.
Despite facing an uphill battle for regular football at Molineux, the Spanish under-21 international would be happy to stay in Wolverhampton, previously saying: “Last season we started with a back four and I felt really comfortable, then we changed to a back five and sometimes you have to adapt quickly.
“Hopefully in this new season, with more time with the coaches, I can get more information on the things that they want.
“I’m really happy and motivated about the new season and let’s see what happens.”
According to E&S journalist Liam Keen, Wolves share a similar stance on the player as he claims the club are ‘not interested’ in selling him despite ‘concrete interest’ from the likes of Celtic, who will play Champions League football in 2024/25.
He wrote: “As it stands, Wolves not interested in letting Hugo Bueno leave, despite concrete interest in him.”
Hugo Bueno’s role at Wolves in 2024/25
Still only 21, the ‘excellent’ Bueno is confident he can play a massive part at Wolves in the future and he will get opportunities to play in 2024/25.
Although Ait-Nouri has got the left wing-back role locked down, there is still a small possibility that the Algerian could leave, as Liverpool have shown a keen interest in the player.
It seems highly unlikely that Ait-Nouri will leave Molineux, especially after the sale of Kilman, but if he is poached by a Champions League club, that increases Bueno’s chances of starting.
Of course, O’Neil would want to find a replacement for the 23-year-old however, he did trust the Spaniard to start last term and he did score in the FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Coventry City.
At this current stage, it’s looking like another campaign where Bueno plays understudy to Ait-Nouri and he’ll need to take his opportunities when they arrive.