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“From £12m to Qatar’s Bench: Wolves Star’s Shocking Value Crash After Nuno Sale
Wolverhampton Wanderers are likely to look back on Nuno Espirito Santo’s tenure with some nostalgia, especially as they face a potential relegation battle in the Premier League this season under current manager Gary O’Neil. It remains uncertain whether O’Neil will stay in charge at Molineux, but Wolves fans were certainly disappointed when Espirito Santo left in 2021 after guiding the club to two consecutive seventh-place finishes in the top flight. However, even a highly regarded figure like the 50-year-old had his share of transfer missteps, as seen in some notable examples.
Nuno’s Worst Transfer Decisions at Wolves
For every successful signing like Joao Moutinho and Pedro Neto, there were others like Patrick Cutrone and Rafa Mir, who failed to make an impact at the club. Both strikers managed just four goals combined during their time at Wolves, despite arriving with strong reputations as goal-scorers. There were also cases where players underperformed at Wolves only to go on to thrive elsewhere. One such example is Pedro Goncalves, who made just one senior appearance under Espirito Santo before becoming a star at Sporting CP. Goncalves has since accumulated an impressive 138 goals and assists in 190 appearances for the Lisbon club.
Other transfers raised eyebrows, like the £10m signing of Benik Afobe in the summer of 2018, who was then sold to Stoke City in the same window for a £2m profit. Wolves clearly saw an opportunity to make a quick profit, and in hindsight, the decision to sell him swiftly seems justified, given his lackluster performances following his departure.
Afobe’s Career After Leaving Wolves
During his 2017/18 season at Wolves, Afobe had shown promise by scoring six goals in 16 Championship appearances after being loaned from AFC Bournemouth. However, the £12m fee Stoke offered may have been too tempting to resist, and Wolves sold him. Afobe struggled at Stoke, netting only nine goals in 51 appearances, before eventually moving on to Millwall in 2022 after several loan spells. Since leaving Wolves, Afobe has bounced between clubs, with a brief loan stint in Turkey, and he now plays in the Qatari second division for Mesaimeer SC. However, he has yet to score in his two appearances there, and his transfer value has significantly dropped to just £746k, far below the £12m Wolves once received for him.
As Afobe adjusts to life at yet another new club, O’Neil will be hoping that new signings like Jorgen Strand Larsen and Matheus Cunha can help Wolves avoid relegation—something unthinkable during Espirito Santo’s time at the helm.
