There is an acknowledgement at Wolverhampton Wanderers that years of poor recruitment have pulled the Molineux away from 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. In this, Rob Edwards has evidence of the headway the club have made since he took charge in November.
However, pulling off a great escape is going to be a stretch too far for the Old Gold, who are still 12 points adrift of safety after a recent purple patch.
Too many factors have contributed toward this spiral, and while Edwards will be confident that he can bring Wolves right back up to the big time, the sale of Matheus Cunha seems to have been 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 move, and he completed the transfer to Old Trafford for a £62.5m fee.
Hailed for his “sensational football IQ” by BBC pundit Micah Richards during his time as Wolves’ attacking talisman, Cunha was the difference-maker in 2024/25, posting 15 goals and six assists in the Premier League to keep his club afloat.
Wolves supporters could not and did not begrudge Cunha’s decision to challenge himself at Man United. He was honest throughout the process, perhaps 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’s gone from strength to strength under Edwards’ wing.
Wolves have hit gold on the new Cunha
In September 2023, Wolves signed Jean-Ricner Bellegarde from Ligue 1 outfit Strasbourg for a £13m fee. Praised for being “incredibly direct and uncomplicated” on the ball by The Athletic’s Thom Harris, the Haitian is pacy and energetic, skilled in taking the ball from one third to another.
|
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde – Wolves Stats by Position |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Position |
Apps |
Goals + Assists |
|
Central midfield |
20 |
2 + 2 |
|
Attacking midfield |
23 |
1 + 3 |
|
Defensive midfield |
9 |
0 + 1 |
|
Left wing |
8 |
1 + 0 |
|
Right wing |
3 |
1 + 1 |
|
Centre-forward |
3 |
0 + 0 |
This season, he has been something of a utility man for Vitor Pereira and then Edwards, but in doing this, his quality and presence have not diminished, and he has come into his own once again in recent weeks after an injury layoff.
Bellegarde might not chalk up the greatest output in front of goal, be that as the scorer or creator, but then he shares with Cunha an ability to define himself through his work rate and energy and enthusiasm. Direct involvements are simply a juicy bonus.
There’s no question that he has room for improvement, but retaining Bellegarde’s services ahead of the Championship season is essential, for his dynamic, all-action midfield style will be sure to overpower many second tier defences and help Edwards in guiding Wolves straight back up.
Bellegarde has been the standout in recent weeks, and it’s no coincidence that his reemergence has coincided with the brightest point in Wolves’ season. Like Cunha, the creative midfielder has the ability to stand out and carry his side forward against the tide, playing to his own beat and mixing physicality and technicality to an emphatic effect.
Indeed, Bellegarde has completed 64% of his dribbles in the Premier League and won 54.3% of his duels this season, and it’s safe to say that he is starting to show why talent scout Jacek Kulig hailed him as being among the “crazy” young talent in France when part of the international French youth set-up.
Wolves are down, but they are by no means out. And if nothing else, Edwards has succeeded in instilling hope across Wolverhampton, and the club will carry that into the new campaign, where they will cheer from the stands and watch stars such as Bellegarde fight tooth and nail to send them right back up.
More important than Mane: Edwards has struck gold on “incredible” Wolves star
Wolves have plenty of quality to assist them in bouncing back into the Premier League ahead of probable relegation.