CULTURAL AND STRUCTURAL SHIFT EMERGES AT WOLVES

Vitor Periera bids to take the Molineux club forward under fresh plan

Nelson Semedo turns 32 later this year. Regardless of any lucrative contract offer that may or may not be on the table, it is worth asking this: what has the 2024/25 version of Wolves really got to offer him? Why would such an established international of his pedigree choose to stay on any longer, when there is the opportunity for something new and perhaps successful elsewhere, in what is surely going to be his last significant contract? Now, had that question been asked of the 2018/19 Wolves there would be a very different answer. That club had plenty to offer a player with one last shot at adding an exciting chapter to his story.

Getting back to a place where there is a project on the table, where there is a clear identity on and off the pitch, and where there can be an ambition to thrive, is key if Wolves is to move forward. Vitor Pereira, who managed 17 different clubs in 22 years before landing at Molineux, may not have been the obvious candidate to bring about an alignment in thinking, but over the past few months there has been a recognition that change was required, and the veteran head coach is now a pivotal figure as the club looks to make genuine progress and move away from the instability that has characterised recent Premier League campaigns.

This is at the heart of the club’s recent restructure. “Strengthening the professional environment and improving operational efficiency” was one of many phrases used in the club’s official statement. Neither of those aims hints at a project but the restructure has put the ball in Pereira’s court to some degree, giving him the opportunity to put down roots and realise his own personal ambition of becoming a successful Premier League manager. He wants to do that at Wolves.

Supporters will have their own opinions on why the role of sporting director was dissolved. Matt Hobbs is entitled to look back on his time at the club with a certain amount of pride, particularly as he worked under some testing circumstances, oversaw the identification of several key players who have gone on to prove themselves in the first team and took a chance on Gary O’Neil at a time when the club desperately needed the stability that the novice head coach went on to provide. On the other hand, the talking up of every single new signing - several of whom disappeared from view - and the failure to make a decisive break from O’Neil at the right time drew criticism.

Pereira did not form a particularly close relationship with Hobbs and it is revealing that the head coach has been allowed to bring in his own man – Domenico Teti – in a new director of professional football role. Teti will offer a new layer of communication between the ownership and coaching staff. Fluent in several languages, the Italian has the ability to develop relationships with the entire playing staff, which is primarily Portuguese-speaking.

The appointment of Teti is also an indication of the level of trust chairman Jeff Shi has in Pereira. Fosun has invested in their head coach and wants this to be a long-term appointment. By also naming new heads of recruitment and performance - Matt Jackson and Phil Hayward, respectively - there are clearer defined roles in the football department aimed at taking the workload away from Pereira and offering a collective responsibility to a group of experienced operators.

The restructuring is, in some respects, a continuation of the changes that have gradually been put in place since Pereira arrived at the club. By spreading overall responsibilities among a greater number of figures there will be less room for egos to flourish. The aim is to create a more productive working environment. Periera has led by example, consistently diverting praise that has come his way towards the playing and coaching staff.

“I didn’t come to the Premier League to fight to avoid relegation, I came here with the idea of ​​building a strong, consistent project,” Pereira told the Spanish newspaper Marca, in an interview published on Monday. “My goal is to create a competitive team that can compete against anyone, and both the club and I are looking for solutions. My ambition, and that of the fans, will be even higher next season.”

Encouraging words, but they were laced with another message that could be construed as concerning when it came to transfers: “We have a good, strong team, but I’m a little worried about the situation. We must bring in quality players because expectations are growing.”

As with any interview conducted in a different tongue, there is probably a wider context to Pereira’s view. Certainly, Wolves have done the bulk of their outgoing work already and when the new financial year kicks in on July 1^st there will be the opportunity to see what happens with incomings for the 2025/26 Premier League season.

The departure of Hobbs brings with it a change of strategy. The former sporting director had been working on a number of moves, with Bournemouth’s David Brooks a known target alongside a Bundesliga forward. Those deals are unlikely to happen now, though. Pereira is strong-minded about his own plans and will be given a greater say on transfer targets than his predecessor. While Pereira has not had the decades-long bond with Jorge Mendes that Nuno Espirito Santo enjoyed, his relationship with Gestifute was illustrated with the arrival of Fer Lopez from Celta Vigo last week. Pereira has his eye on several Portuguese players, too, and wants to see some squad strengthening at the earliest opportunity. The club is also expected to continue to utilise its global scouting network that has been established in recent seasons, which will be overseen by Ben Wrigglesworth.

The profile of player will be expected to fit Pereira’s style, which is based on building up possession from the back with the intent of drawing in the opposition to a place where the team can then activate their own attacks. Wolves rarely hit long passes from the back during the latter half of last season, with the trigger points for quick attacking moves usually dictated by the ability to find space through an opposition press. Lopez fits the bill further forward, but Pereira is very keen to the get the right profile of player at wing-back on both sides of the pitch, as well as in the number 10 role.

The head coach does not expect to go into next season light on numbers and with a new structure put in place to give him the best support possible off the pitch it is not unreasonable to suggest there will be significant arrivals. The level of spending is another matter. Not even those closest to the hierarchy are prepared to put a number on how much is available, but Fosun is aware that this is a summer rebuild and not merely one where the odd addition can supplement what is already in place.

Get the recruitment right and there is every reason to believe that Wolves can give it a go next season. Pereira has been around the block a bit. This is a fifth European country’s top tier league he has managed in, with spells elsewhere in Brazil, China and the Middle-East on his CV. It took a while, then, to find his way to Wolverhampton but now he is here, the vastly experienced head coach can see the potential of the place and something worth hanging around for. This early summer restructure represents a cultural shift as much as anything else.