Wolves fans have a laser focus on the transfer window right now, but there is also the small matter of tonight’s game in the Carabao Cup against Burnley. Supporters have everything crossed for a strong finish to the summer window, after weeks of no incoming activity. Wolves kicked off positively this summer by signing Rodrigo Gomes, Pedro Lima and Jorgen Strand Larsen. But Wolves have been very quiet for weeks and the two defeats against Arsenal and Chelsea have left some a little nervous right now.
A win tonight against Burnley would help the mood – and it could be a fairly significant evening for Wolves winger Chiquinho. Chiquinho is a player Wolves fans were so excited to watch ahead of the 2022/23 season. He had looked really sharp shortly after joining the club for £3 million for Estoril, and was one of Wolves’ best players at the end of the 2021/22 season. But he sustained a very nasty knee injury that summer, and did not play at all in 2022/23 as a result. Last term, after initially going to Stoke City, Chiquinho found form on loan at Farmalicao and impressed while playing regularly.
He’s back with the Wolves first-team squad now, with Gary O’Neil seemingly ready to take a chance on him this season. He got a short cameo against Arsenal, but then did not make the bench against Chelsea, which does underline his current status as a fringe player at Molineux. In recent weeks, Chiquinho’s future has been the subject of speculation, with Gaziantep and Mallorca both reportedly keen on him. Previously, Braga and Sporting CP have also been linked. So there is perhaps a chance he could be a late outgoing. But tonight’s game against Burnley offers him an opportunity – play well, and he could be kept, fail to make an impact, and O’Neil may green-light his exit.
Chiquinho features on the front cover of Wolves’ matchday programme for tonight’s game with Burnley, which may or may not hint at his involvement from the start. The 24-year-old has stated that he is ‘excited’ to be back at the club, and he has made it clear he is a fan of working under O’Neil. He said (via Wolves official): “The conversations [with O’Neil] were really good. The coach is helping me a lot, so I’m excited to be here. The most important thing we are working on is the movement, in a different way to play. He’s passed me confidence. Not every player has this chance to show again their value, and I’m lucky, and when the coach thinks it’s the best time for me to show that and give me the opportunity, I will be ready.”
If he is called upon tonight, he must make the most of his opportunity. Because competition for minutes in the Wolves attack is very strong right now. It is not completely out of the question that Daniel Podence and Goncalo Guedes could stay at the club. If they both do end up staying, then Chiquinho cannot afford a poor showing against the Clarets.
Chiquinho's Return to Molineux
The latest episode of Wolves Express is now available to listen to, as Chiquinho joins the podcast to chat about his returning to Molineux ahead of this evening's cup clash with Burnley. The winger is into his fourth season with Wolves, having joined midway through the 2021/22 campaign, but a serious knee injury suffered in the following pre-season against this evening's opponents meant he remained on the sidelines of the next 12 months. After another year away on loan to get back up to speed, the 24-year-old is back in the first-team squad and has spoken about how much he has enjoyed being part of Gary O'Neil's group this summer, how he is improving under the head coach as well as during his loan spells away from Molineux and how he's going to feel when the Clarets come to town in the Carabao Cup this evening. This week has seen Tawanda Chirewa depart for the season as he joined Championship outfit Derby County on loan, and head of professional football development Matt Jackson explains the decision behind sending the forward out for the year and why he feels the Rams would suit the Zimbabwe international. Former Wolves midfielders Adlene Guedioura and Dave Edwards also drop by the podcast, after they returned to Compton Park last week where they got the chance to catch up with a few familiar faces and meet some new ones as well.
Chiquinho's Determination
The winger cannot wait to show Wolves fans how he has changed after a number of loans that have transformed him as a player. He spoke about his return to the club and how he wants to start with a bang. “I'm very excited to be here again, meeting with my old teammates and the new coaches, new staff, and it was amazing to be back. There’s a lot of different faces, but I can see the hunger to win, the ambition that everybody has here. I'm one more to do this. The conversations (with O’Neil) were really good. The coach is helping me a lot, so I'm excited to be here. The most important things we are working on is the movement, in a different way to play. He’s passed me confidence. Not every player has this chance to show again their value, and I'm lucky, and when the coach thinks it’s the best time for me to show that and give me the opportunity, I will be ready.”
A Second Chance
The young winger is feeling very confident and wants to make his chance in the first team count. “I'm really excited to be back here, it’s the best championship in the world, so I want to show my value and help the team. I’ve returned with a lot more confidence and I’m more mature. I think this is the most important thing I improved in my football. I always had confidence to be back where I was, because I'm a player where when I play with confidence and the things are starting to go well, I'm really strong. I think it was (Arsenal appearance) a reward. We couldn't get the win, but it was a good chance for me, in the few minutes, to show the hunger I have and to try to help the team.”
A Defining Moment
Tonight's match could be a defining moment for Chiquinho. He has a chance to stake his claim for a place in the Wolves squad, or he could find himself on the move again. The pressure is on, but Chiquinho seems ready to embrace the challenge. It's a night that could have a significant impact on his career.
