Wolverhampton Wanderers have had something of a resurgence since Julen Lopetegui took over as manager in November, and the January transfer window was a further indication that the Old Gold are back on track in the Premier League.
On the pitch, the Midlanders have started to show discernible improvement after a woeful start to the campaign left them facing a grim battle against relegation from the top flight and confirmed the dismissal of Bruno Lage after 16 months in the job.
Last summer, the Wolves squad saw a more comprehensive reshuffle than in previous years, with Conor Coady, Willy Boly, Romain Saiss and Leander Dendoncker all departing. The ill-effects of the changes were initially felt, proving to be the final blow for Lage as his tinkering did not get the machine whirring as planned.
However, Lopetegui has reignited the fire among the squad at Molineux, and several well-placed winter signings have bolstered the ranks further after already showing hints of revival.
Since his first match in the dugout after the conclusion of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Wolves have only lost three times from ten matches across all competitions, with the recent 3-0 drubbing of beleaguered Liverpool embodying the turnaround which has lifted the Old Gold to 15th in the Premier League table.
One player who is thriving is Daniel Podence, who has scored three goals from six league outings since the World Cup.
The winger has not always been a starring figure in Wolverhampton since his £16.6m arrival from Olympiakos in January 2020, but five goals from 16 top-flight starts this term is an indication of his marked improvement as a direct threat and an evolution from the graceful but ineffective force who plundered just two league goals last season.
With Everton eyeing a move for the ace – who is out of contract at the end of next season – earlier in the campaign, there was an increasing belief that a deal might have been forthcoming, but Lopetegui evidently views the 27-year-old as an integral part of his plans for the remainder of 2022/23.
Candidly, for all of Wolves’ improvements, their tally of 15 league goals this season is the lowest in the top flight despite the three-goal romp over Jurgen Klopp’s Reds, and effective firepower is a coveted component for the club at present.
With five goals in the league, the “delightful” Podence – as hailed by Sky Sports co-commentator Alan Smith last year – has come up with 33% of his team’s tally so far this term, and to have cast him aside based solely on the uncertainty over his long-term future would have been a costly mistake.
As it is, he looks set to continue making a mark on Wolves’ season, and the fact that the team’s most potent forward remains in the Midlands for the rest of the campaign could end up being the difference between them enjoying a sixth successive year of top-flight football or returning to the Championship.
Therefore, you could argue that Lopetegui has struck gold in a sense by warding off any interest in the 27-year-old.
