🦁 PL Previews: Can Wolves rebound from disastrous preparation? | OneFootball

After a tumultuous week leading into their Premier League opener that saw their coach replaced, Wolves’ warm-up for the new campaign has been far from ideal.

So what on earth is going on at Molineux?

See all of our club previews right here.

Transfers 🔁

In: Matheus Cunha (Atlético de Madrid, £44m), Matt Doherty (Atlético de Madrid, free)

Out: Rúben Neves (Al-Hilal, £47m), Nathan Collins (Brentford, £23m), Raúl Jiménez (Fulham, £5m), João Moutinho (released), Diego Costa (released), Conor Coady (Leicester, £7.5m), Ryan Giles (Luton, £5m), Dion Sanderson (Birmingham, £2m)

Transfer balance: +£45.5m

Key fixtures 📆

🔑 Key player: Matheus Nunes

With Neves gone, all of the pressure is on Nunes to deliver on the creative front from midfield. Luckily, he possesses all of the skills to do that.

Most encouragingly, the former Sporting CP man has shone in pre-season so far and looks ready to shoulder the added responsibility this season.

The quality has always been there with just some consistency missing. If he can find that, there’s a big season ahead for Nunes.

What has changed since last season? 🤔

Key man Neves departed for Saudi Arabia in what was a sign of things to come this summer, while Nathan Collins and João Moutinho have left, along with club stalwarts Raúl Jiménez and Conor Coady, whose best days at Molineux were perhaps behind them.

Their only arrivals so far have came via Atlético de Madrid, with Matheus Cunha’s permanent move being formalised and Matt Doherty returning via the Spanish capital to offer competition for Nélson Semedo at right-back, but he may have to fight to win back his jersey.

And then came the big bombshell that fans had feared all summer but hoped would lead nowhere.

Four days before their season was due to begin, the departure of frustrated coach Julen Lopetegui was announced – just nine months after he arrived and took them from the bottom of the table to survival.

Gary O’Neil has been tasked with repeating his own survival heroics at Bournemouth last season to replace him. It is an unenviable task.

Predicted XI 🔮

(4-2-3-1) — Sá; Semedo, Dawson, Kilman, Bueno; Lemina, Gomes; Sarabia, Nunes, Neto; Cunha.

Where will they finish? 🏆

Premier League: 13th

FA Cup: Fourth round

EFL Cup: Third round

See all of our club previews right here.