Wolves owners in ‘real conflict’ with Jorge Mendes
Wolves have relied too heavily on Jorge Mendes and his agency during their time in the Premier League.
That is according to ex-Everton, Aston Villa, and Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who thinks the “relationship is cooling between Fosun and Mendes.”
Wolves’ ownership are the subject of fan unrest at Molineux, with the club bottom of the Premier League table with just two points.
Jeff Shi has been sacked as Wolves chairman, and the club look to already be preparing for life in the Championship next season.
Wolves ‘had an overreliance’ on Jorge Mendes’ agency
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – has given his verdict on Mendes as Wolves look to change their recruitment strategy to focus greater on its academy.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness believes Mendes has had an unhealthy relationship with Wolves.
He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “I think Wolves have had an overreliance on Gestifute, which is Jorge Mendes’ agency. And I believe he’s even got, there’s even shareholdings together in companies in China. I don’t know if that’s still the case, but certainly there was at one time.
“And the relationship I thought was unhealthily close in many ways. I think when Nuno [Espirito Santo] was there, he also had Mendes as his agent.
“And there seemed to be an overreliance on players that were coming through his agency and accepted by Nuno as well, who is also one of his clients. So it did seem to me a real conflict. It would seem to point to that relationship cooling between Fosun, the owners of Wolves, and Jorge Mendes. And I don’t know, I mean, I haven’t heard that, but that’s what it would look at from the outside, certainly.”
Rob Edwards’ future in doubt
Whilst Wolves hired manager Rob Edwards in November with a view to the Championship, fans have turned against the 42-year-old.
Wolves fans believe Edwards is “out of his depth“ following a seventh straight Premier League defeat in charge of the club.
It does not get any easier for Edwards, with trips to Liverpool and Man United coming up to end 2025.