Wolverhampton Wanderers have been excellent all season long with Gary O’Neil transforming the club on the field.
However, the manner in which they suffered their recent 3-2 home defeat to Coventry City will infuriate the boss and the fans, which will most likely be an anomaly over the season.
Despite being handed a loss, there were some standout players from the tie, including Rayan Ait Nouri, who scored and assisted, and Joao Gomes, who was as solid as ever.
What both of those players have in common is a low wage while bringing quality to the field, but unfortunately, that isn’t the case for everyone in the squad.
Joao Gomes’ performances for Wolves
In January 2023, Wolves acquired the services of a young midfielder from Flamengo for a fee of £15m, which is beginning to look like a bargain based on his recent performances.
Gomes has grown into his role in O’Neil’s team this season, which primarily focuses on winning the ball back and retaining it, as displayed by averaging the third most tackles per game (3.5) in the Premier League this season.
The only players he sits behind are Sheffield United's Vini Souza and Fulham enforcer Joao Palhinha.
The 23-year-old also showcased his ability on the international stage, starting for Brazil against England in a 1-0 victory, which will most definitely provide him with confidence ahead of his return to Wolves next week.
Minutes played
90
Touches
46
Accurate passes
23/28 (82%)
Duels won
5/12
Fouls
5
Interceptions
3
Tackles
3
Nonetheless, the Old Gold looked to have also secured a fantastic deal on his wages given what he offers on the field, with Gomes earning £30k-per-week, making him far from one of the highest paid at the club, unlike some individuals who are far less influential than the Brazilian.
One such player is Boubacar Traore who has struggled to have the same level of influence as Gomes in the engine room at Molineux.
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ByTom LeverFeb 18, 2024 What Boubacar Traore earns compared to the Wolves squad
Traore is a player that not all of the Wolves faithful will truly know about, which is completely understandable given his lack of game time since his arrival.
The 22-year-old midfielder joined the English side originally on loan last season, before making the move permanent in the summer for a fee of £9.5m.
However, he has failed to make an impact when handed an opportunity this campaign, becoming the fourth-choice midfielder behind Gomes, Mario Lemina, and Tommy Doyle.
Over his two years at Wolves, the Mali international has started just seven Premier League matches, with his latest being the 2-1 away defeat to Arsenal at the start of December.
Nonetheless, even though Traore has featured far less than Gomes, the number six is earning almost double his wage, with an exact figure being £25k-per-week more than the Brazilian.
#1 Pablo Sarabia
£90k
#2 Nelson Semedo
£80k
#3 Hwang Hee-chan
£70k
#4 Matheus Cunha
£60k
#5 Boubacar Traore
£55k
As you can see, this puts the midfielder among the highest earners in the entire Wolves squad, earning slightly less than Matheus Cunha and over five times more than Ait Nouri, who earns just £10k-per-week.
In truth, Traore is still young and he has plenty of room for development, but at this current moment, he has failed to justify his high salary on the field, as displayed by his 0.9 tackles, 13 passes, and 1.6 duels won per game.
Handing the relatively inexperienced player a large contract may have been a mistake by Wolves, but they will still hope that O’Neil can mould Traore into a brilliant player in the future.
