Wolves should unleash Luke Matheson if Nelson Semedo leaves | OneFootball

If you’re a young player at Wolves, it’s incredibly likely you’ll get an opportunity to shine in the first-team.

Jeff Shi’s mantra since purchasing the club has been to buy players at a young age and progress them towards reaching their high ceiling.

Diogo Jota and Pedro Neto are two of Wolves’ biggest success stories since Fosun completed their takeover at Molineux but others continue to come through the ranks.

As well as buying for the first-team, the Old Gold have been keen to strengthen their options from an academy point of view.

They broke their record fee for an academy player by signing Christian Marques after they beat Bayern Munich to his signature. Another of their finest captures at youth level is Luke Matheson.

Amidst studying for his GCSE’s, the teenager scored at Old Trafford in the Carabao Cup for Rochdale.

It’s a moment that has made his career as he broke into their first team at the tender age of 16.

What followed was a move to Wolves, who have yet to blood him at senior level.

However, it surely won’t be too long before he earns his opportunity under Nuno Santo. After all, he already has a taste for first-team action and has all the qualities that perfectly suit Wolves’ style of play.

Unfortunately, he does have plenty of players ahead of him in the pecking order. The Old Gold signed two right-backs last summer in Nelson Semedo and Ki-Jana Hoever.

That said, Semedo has been a liability at times this season and has now been linked with a move to Roma.

If Wolves decided to cash in just a year after buying him, they should look to finally unleash Matheson at Molineux.

Speaking during his debut campaign at Rochdale, the teenager earned plenty of praise from manager Brian Barry-Murphy: “Luke is an exceptional guy. He is one player you would have no problems staying grounded and true to his family.”

The 18-year-old hasn’t developed as rapidly as many thought he would when he scored against Manchester United but he still possesses plenty of eye-catching traits.

After he signed for the club, scouting writer David Alexander Hughes told Birmingham Live: “In terms of his defensive work, the defender is exhibiting a strong tactical understanding of the game, reading opposition attacks well and making a decent amount of interceptions and possession recoveries per game.”

Hughes continued: “Matheson’s abilities in progressing the ball and providing a threat in the attacking third make him an ideal candidate to feature as a wing-back for Nuno’s side.”

He added: “Wolves have recruited a young and exciting defender who looks to have a very high ceiling. To be a regular within League One at just 17 is a true testament to his ability.”

Matheson is maturing all the time but after an unsuccessful loan spell with Ipswich, is now back in the U23s at Compton.

Nuno has always had a keen eye for young talent at Molineux; the 18-year-old must surely be near the top of his priorities, however.

AND in other news, Nuno must wield the axe on “uninspiring” £30k-p/w Wolves flop, he’s done at Molineux…