Wolverhampton Wanderers have been fantastic this campaign, with their excellent recruitment being one of the main reasons for their success.
There’s no better example of that than the appointment of manager Gary O'Neil, who has completely changed the culture at the club almost instantly.
The players that have been brought in have also been a hit, while keeping their wages at a reasonable level.
However, that’s not always been the case, with one former player during the 2021/22 season rinsing the club of millions, even earning far more than what Matheus Cunha earns this season.
Matheus Cunha’s 23/34 campaign
In the summer, Wolves completed the permanent signing of Cunha from Atletico Madrid for £44m, which is a club-record transfer fee.
Luckily, the Brazilian has thrived under the pressure of such a price tag, becoming such a vital player for O’Neil this campaign over his 24 Premier League starts this season.
The 24-year-old has proven to not only be a goal-scoring threat this season, netting nine goals, but he’s also displayed his ability to be a creative outlet for the team, providing six assists.
This means that the number 12 has contributed to 15 goals in the Premier League this season, which is the most in the Wolves squad.
Therefore, Cunha only earning £60k-per-week shows how well the Wanderers manage player wages, having learned from their previous mistakes.
Wolves have been rinsed by a player who earns more than Joao Gomes
The Wolves ace has only made seven Premier League starts for the club.
ByTom Lever Francisco Trincao's total cost at Wolves
In 2021, 21-year-old winger Francisco Trincao joined Wolves on a season-long loan from Barcelona in an attempt to secure more minutes on the field.
Having arrived from such a European giant as La Blaugrana, the expectation for the Portuguese talent to succeed was instant, but unfortunately, he never fulfilled his potential.
Nuno Espírito Santo signed the attacker to play as an inside right winger in a three-back formation, but after starting two of his next three games after his debut, Trincao struggled to keep his place in the side.
Over the campaign, the former Barca gem featured in 28 Premier League matches, making 15 starts, so the then-Wolves boss did provide him with opportunities. But, unfortunately, he only netted two goals, clearly failing to justify his £130k-per-week wage that made him the club’s highest earner that season.
Trincao
£130k
Pablo Sarabia
£90k
Nelson Semedo
£80k
Hwang Hee-chan
£70k
Matheus Cunha
£60k
As you can see, that would also make Trincao by far the highest earner if he were still at the club on the same contract, earning over double what Cunha, currently rakes in, for example.
When broken down, this meant that the tricky star cost Wolves £3.4m per goal, as his weekly wage equated to £6.8m over the entire season.
As of today, Trincao is finally finding his feet, starring for Sporting in his home nation. Last season, the 24-year-old scored ten league goals, and he’s already netted six this campaign in just nine starts.
That said, it’s a shame that the winger rinsed the club over his loan spell and failed to show his true colours in a Wolves shirt.
Wage Burners
Football FanCast's Wage Burners series explores the salaries of the modern-day game.
