A number of players could be leaving Wolves this summer – and that includes one man signed on the watch of Julen Lopetegui.
Wolves are hoping to enjoy a much better second half of the season than first, so the club remain a Premier League outfit come May.
Dropping into the Championship does not bear thinking about, but fans are generally feeling more optimistic now after that last couple of results and a strong end to the January transfer window.
But a number of changes could be on the horizon later this year, regardless of which division Wolves are in.
A few players are set to leave this summer given their contracts are up.
And one such player is Pablo Sarabia.
Pablo Sarabia likely to leave Wolves for one key reason
Liam Keen has been speaking on the latest E&S podcast about players who could be departing Wolves in the summer.
Keen has said Nelson Semedo is likely to leave Wolves, even though there is an openness for the player to stay put and that Wolves want him to stay.
Matheus Cunha is also a player who could be on his way, with a £62.5 million release clause in his new contract likely to tempt several clubs.
But Sarabia is also someone who’s likely to go, with Keen explaining that his wages make an extension at Molineux unlikely.
His current deal expires in the summer, and the suggestion is that Wolves are ready to let him – and Semedo and Cunha – go in order to get their wage and financial structure in order.
He said: “It’s more likely than not that all three of them won’t be Wolves players next season. So you’ve got, in terms of that wage structure which is a really big part of this story with Semedo – Sarabia is on eye-watering money. People would not believe the kind of money Sarabia is on.
“You look at the discrepancy between that and players that are playing for the first-team like a Joao Gomes, for example, the discrepancy in wages there is huge.
“In terms of Wolves’ structure, those three players don’t really fit it and for all different reasons, are likely to go in the summer. Sarabia with his contract being up is very likely to move on.”
Sarabia has disappointed at Wolves
So it does not sound as though Wolves are clamoring to hand Sarabia an extension and are happy to allow him and his huge wages to go.
Keen’s comments about the player’s earnings are interesting. Before Cunha signed his new deal at Wolves, Sarabia was Wolves’ highest-earning player.
The suggestion was that he was on around £90,000 per week. But Keen hints that the Spaniard’s pay packet could be larger than this.
Some fans likely won’t mind seeing Sarabia go in the summer.
| Pablo Sarabia for Wolves (January 2023-present) |
| Appearances – 63 |
| Goals – 7 |
| Assists – 11 |
He’s had some very good moments in a Wolves shirt, such as that stunning goal against Tottenham Hotspur at Molineux last season.
But he’s also had some very poor outings and some don’t believe he suits the physicality of the English top-flight. He also just hasn’t shown the consistency expected from an experienced, high-earning player.
Given the reputation with which he arrived, he has arguably underwhelmed.