Wolves are hoping to add a few new faces this January, but there isn’t a great deal of money to spend – and some have wondered if there is any possibility of the club selling Goncalo Guedes to raise funds.
A couple of days ago, there were reports that Guedes has emerged as a target for a few other clubs after struggling for regular minutes at Benfica, including two in Spain and one in Saudi Arabia.
The winger, signed by Wolves for £27.5 million in the summer of 2022, has not had the productive spell Molineux officials had hoped he would.
He came into the 2023/24 season injured, after undergoing a second knee surgery at the end of last term while on loan at the club.
Some have wondered whether Guedes could be recalled by Wolves this month and sold on – and journalist Liam Keen has now provided the lowdown…
Goncalo Guedes highly unlikely to be sold by Wolves this month
Guedes came up in conversation on the latest Express & Star podcast.
The former Valencia attacker has struggled back in Portugal this term, and didn’t have a particularly productive spell last term either.
Ultimately though, he’s still a saleable asset, but what are the chances of Wolves cashing in on the player this month? According to Liam Keen, the chances are slim.
The journalist said: “It doesn’t seem like it’s going to be that realistic in January. The reason being that Wolves don’t have a recall on his loan at Benfica.
“He isn’t playing loads and I think he’s only played 10 times across all competitions this season. It would depend on Benfica ending the loan themselves and terminating the loan which at this stage seems pretty unlikely. If that happens then there are definite possibilities.”
There is also the possibility Wolves could facilitate a fresh loan move for Guedes, in the hope that he would find form and increase his market value going into the summer.
Guedes sale could really help Wolves, but Benfica hold the cards
It’s a very interesting situation with Guedes, and one that is far from ideal for Wolves.
At the moment, Wanderers still have to be wary of Profit and Sustainability rules. This means that spending will be restricted this month, so player sales would be helpful.
But Wolves would need to bank on Benfica terminating Guedes’ loan and, as little as he’s played, it’s difficult to see Benfica doing that going into the second half of the season.
If that was to happen, then perhaps a sale could be in the offing. Unless of course, against all odds, Gary O’Neil somehow convinces the player he can have a role to play back at Molineux.