There is an admission at Wolverhampton Wanderers that years of poor recruitment have relegated Molineux to the European circuit and condemned them to relegation from the Premier League.
In recent weeks, Wolves have taken points from league leaders Arsenal and all the spoils against Aston Villa and Liverpool. This time, Rob Edwards has proof of how the team has performed since he took over in November.
However, escape will be very difficult for Old Gold, who are 12 points adrift of safety after a recent purple patch.
So many factors have contributed to this, and while Edwards will be hoping he can get Wolves back to the big time, the sale of Matheus Cunha looks set to be a watershed moment in their Premier League journey.
Why Wolves sold Matheus Cunha
It was always going to be difficult to replace Cunha, one of the most talented forwards in Wolves history. Manchester United was his dream, and he completed a transfer to Old Trafford for £62.5m.
Praised for his “impressive football IQ” by BBC pundit Micah Richards during his time as Wolves’ attacking talisman, Cunha was the difference maker in 2024/25, scoring 15 goals and providing six assists in the Premier League for his club.
Wolves fans could not and did not pay attention to Cunha’s decision to challenge for Man United. He was honest throughout the process, maybe to a fault.
However, his quality as an attacking maverick has been sorely missed at Molineux this season, and while his replacement has struggled to produce the same kind of output, he has gone from strength to strength under Edwards’ wing.
Wolves have struck gold in the new Cunha
In September 2023, Wolves signed Jean-Ricner Bellegarde from Ligue 1 side Strasbourg for £13m. Recommended for “surprisingly straightforward and uncomplicated” In the football of Thom Harris of the Athletic, the Haitian is mobile and energetic, with the ability to take the ball from the third to the other.
|
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde – Figures of Wolves by Rank |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Position |
Applications |
Terms + Help |
|
In the middle of nowhere |
20 |
2 + 2 |
|
Field attack |
23 |
1 + 3 |
|
Defensive midfield |
9 |
0 + 1 |
|
Left wing |
8 |
1 + 0 |
|
The right wing |
3 |
1 + 1 |
|
Center-forward |
3 |
0 + 0 |
This season, he was a helper for Vitor Pereira and then Edwards, but in doing so, his quality and presence did not drop, and he has returned to his own in recent weeks after being laid off by injury.
Bellegarde may not have produced the best results in front of goal, be it as a goalscorer or creator, but he shared with Cunha the ability to define himself with his work rate, energy and enthusiasm. Direct involvement is just a juicy bonus.
There is no doubt that he has room for improvement, but retaining Bellegarde’s services ahead of the Championship season is essential, as his dynamic, all-in midfield style will be sure to overcome second-tier defenses and help Edwards guide Wolves straight up.
Bellegarde has been outstanding in recent weeks, and it’s no coincidence that his resurgence has coincided with the highlight of Wolves’ season. Like Cunha, the intelligent midfielder has the ability to stand out and drive his side forward against the wind, playing with his rhythm and mixing physicality and technique to emphatic effect.
Indeed, Bellegarde has completed 64% of his tackles in the Premier League and won 54.3% of his battles this season, and it is safe to say that he is starting to show why talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed him as one of the “crazy” young talents in France when he was part of France’s youth reset.
The wolves are down, but not out yet. And if nothing else, Edwards has succeeded in instilling hope in the whole of Wolverhampton, and the club will take it into the new campaign, where they will be happy and watch stars like Bellegarde fight tooth and nail to get themselves back up.
More important than Mane: Edwards got gold from Wolves’ “amazing” star
Wolves have plenty of quality to help them return to the Premier League before relegation.
