Tommy Doyle and two other Wolves players who are fighting for their futures at Molineux
Wolves will likely be a very busy club this summer.
It looks like Vitor Pereira will secure safety having opened up a nine-point gap down to the relegation zone.
The job needs seeing through, but Wolves are certainly in a healthy position.
And once safety is assured, executives can start to plan properly for next season – and attention will turn to the futures of certain players.
Currently, several stand to leave the club.
But which players are actually fighting for their futures at Molineux? Molineux News assesses the state of play.
Tommy Doyle
It’s been a tough season for Doyle, who has again found himself near the bottom of the pecking order.
The departure of Mario Lemina might have prompted more opportunities. But Joao Gomes and Andre have nailed down the midfield positions, leaving Doyle to continue warming the bench.
Pereira has concerns over Doyle’s physicality.
And earlier this season, Pereira even spoke about playing Doyle in the front three.
At the moment, an exit feels more likely than him staying, and he will have to fight very hard in order to remain a Wolves player next season.
It would be a shame to see Doyle go. Former Wolves winger Mark Kennedy branded Doyle ‘outstanding’ when he signed, but we just haven’t ever really seen him reach his best level due to strong competition in midfield.
Boubacar Traore
Traore is another midfielder at Wolves who has lacked minutes.
In fairness, that has been because he suffered an injury at the start of the season, for which he then needed surgery.
Traore had been lined up to join Feyenoord on loan, but Pereira has actually been quite complimentary about him in recent weeks.
There is suggestion that he likes him, and wants to use him more.
But Traore certainly faces a fight to stick around at Wolves beyond the summer. The most ideal thing for him would be for Wolves to secure safety relatively quickly, allowing Pereira to thrown him into games to get a proper measure of him.
Like Doyle, he’s struggled against the competition of other midfield players at Molineux.
Sasa Kalajdzic
Kalajdzic was left out of Wolves’ updated Premier League squad, so actually won’t get the chance to play games over the next two months.
But he still faces a fight to stay at Wolves, and will need to be going hard in training as soon as he’s able to do so and will need a solid pre-season.
The Austria international has sadly played very little football since he signed for Wolves in 2022 due to suffering two ACL injuries.
That has thrown his future into doubt, and it will be interesting to see if he can still be an option next season, or if Pereira is keen to move him on.
Vitor Pereira has explained how Emmanuel Agbadou can become a ‘top’ defender at Wolves
Wolves signed Emmanuel Agbadou in the January transfer window, and since then, it’s looked like a masterstroke from Vitor Pereira to capture him.
Agbadou arrived at a time when Wolves were in dire need of physical improvement in defence and the 27-year-old’s frame and stature have proven pivotal in his first two months at Molineux.
Remarkably, Agbadou won the Player of the Month award in January, instantly cementing his place as an important figure in the back line.
Dave Edwards thinks the Ivory Coast international has made a huge difference since joining the club from Stade Reims in Ligue 1, and Vitor Pereira agrees.
Pereira has praised Agbadou, lauding the powerful defender as a ‘big problem’ for the opposition, but he’s now also said where he can improve.
- READ MORE: He nearly joined Wolves in 2009, then went on to make £85m transfer and win five Champions Leagues
Vitor Pereira explains where Emmanuel Agbadou needs to ‘improve’
Agbadou has been a revelation in a Wolves shirt, only missing the matches against Bournemouth and Fulham through injury.
He then returned for the draw against Everton and starred in the win over Southampton, which took the Old Gold nine points clear of the bottom three.
But whilst the powerhouse has mostly shown his class, Pereira thinks that Agbadou can become a ‘top’ defender by improving his decision-making on the ball, essentially knowing when to pass short or long.
“This is a player who sometimes makes a mistake because he has too much confidence, but I like this kind of player,” Pereira said via the E&S.
“He isn’t afraid to face anyone, he plays against the best striker in the world and isn’t afraid. We just need to tighten up some things, because sometimes he takes (unnecessary) risks.
“If the traffic is inside, he must pass outside. This is what he needs to improve. Sometimes go short, sometimes go long. Top central defenders know what to decide.
“He’s strong, he’s confident. Even when he walks, he walks with confidence. This is the kind of personality we need.”
- READ MORE: Dave Edwards predicts three Wolves fringe players will now get more game time
Agbadou’s stats make for impressive reading
It’s never easy coming from a foreign league midway through the campaign and often players can take a while to adapt.
In the case of Agbadou, the Wolves defender has made the seamless transition across to England by dominating the opposition in both boxes.
Emmanuel Agbadou’s stats at Wolves
- 7 matches played
- 45.9 accurate passes per game (82%)
- 1 interception per game
- 2.1 tackles per game
- 5.9 balls recovered per game
- 6.1 clearances per game
- 5.1 duels won per game (67%)
Physically, the Ivorian is up there with the best, and if he can improve his quality in possession, there’s no reason why he can’t become one of the league’s most sought-after defenders.
