The race for survival is heating up in the Premier League. Wolverhampton Wanderers are currently on 19 points after 24 games, just 21 points away from the magical 40-point total that is thought to all but guarantee a side safety in the top-flight for another season.
The Old Gold will need their big stars to turn up in the final few months of the season. Matheus Cunha will be key, as will Rayan Ait-Nouri. This could be their last few games in a Wolves shirt, given both could leave in the summer. They were linked with a move away in January, too.
Vitor Pereira will also be hoping his January signings can put in some big performances in their fight for survival. New midfielder Marshall Munetsi will be a key player.
Munetsi’s January move to Wolves
The Old Gold signed Zimbabwean midfielder Munetsi on deadline day of the 2025 January transfer window. The 28-year-old signed from French outfit Stade Reims, with the transfer fee reported to be £17m.
His record for the Ligue 1 outfit is impressive. Munetsi pulled on the Reims shirt 159 times in total, scoring 21 goals and grabbing 14 assists. He is a versatile player, able to play all over the midfield, as a number six, a number eight or even a number ten.
So far, the midfielder has played once for the Old Gold, with his debut coming in the FA Cup, a 24-minute cameo against Championship side Blackburn Rovers.
So, although it is early days, the signs that Munetsi might become an excellent player for the Old Gold are certainly positive ones. He could be a huge figure in their battle for Premier League survival.
However, it might have the Wolves fans reminiscing about a former midfielder who has become a brilliant player of his own and is worth far more than the £17m they paid for Munetsi.
The former Wolves midfielder worth more than Munetsi
It has been a rapid rise to the top for former Wolves loanee Vitinha. Now thriving at Paris Saint Germain, the Portugal international made the move to Molineux on a season-long loan in the 2020/21 campaign. The deal had a buy option, but they did not activate it.
It is fair to say that things did not necessarily work out for the Portuguese midfielder. He played 22 times in all competitions for the club, managing just one goal and one assist. His sole strike was a sublime FA Cup fourth-round winning goal way to non-league Chorley.
Since playing for the Old Gold, Vitinha has made a real name for himself at PSG in their midfield. He has played 125 times for the club, managing 16 goals and ten assists including 11 goal involvements in Ligue 1 last term.
He is also a full international with Portugal, and was a key member of their Euro 2024 squad alongside the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo, grabbing three assists in the tournament. He has 25 caps for his country so far.
The “maestro”, as Statman Dave described him, is now worth far more than what Wolves paid for Munetsi. According to Football Transfers, Vitinha is valued at £51.4m, which is 202% more than the fee that their new midfielder cost them.
In fact, if that wasn’t enough, he was also incredibly nominated for the 2024 Ballon d’Or.
The stats on Squawka suggest this is a fair gap in valuation, too. Using data from the 2023/24 Ligue 1 season, the Portugal star ranked above Munetsi in many metrics, including chances created, with 1.5 compared to 0.5 per game.
Stat (per 90)
Vitinha
Munetsi
Goals
0.2
0.5
Chances created
0.5
1.5
Forward passes
6.6
17.2
Take-ons completed
0.5
1.4
Ball recoveries
4.6
6.6
On reflection, the Old Gold might be kicking themselves that they didn’t get the most out of Vitinha during his time at Molineux. Given his value now, and how much more he is worth compared to Munetsi, he could have been a key man in Pereira’s midfield.
Wolves might wish they had just activated the buy option in Vitinha’s loan deal because they could have had a superb, and expensive, player on their hands.
Wolves must rue selling big-money star who is now outperforming Ait-Nouri
This former Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder continues to shine away from Molineux.
ByKelan SarsonFeb 12, 2025