After selling Diogo Jota in the summer, it looked as though Wolves’ ambitions had wilted somewhat.

Of course, they still had a very promising squad, but selling one of their star men was a cause for concern.

Fortunately, Nuno Santo’s men have swatted away any remaining doubters this term and sit in seventh place.

On the chalkboard

One the main reasons Wolves have been so good this season is thanks to their dynamic midfield.

Leander Dendoncker has flirted with defence and attack, even being favoured over Ruben Neves against Arsenal.

He and Joao Moutinho were excellent in north London and in helping their side to beat the Gunners, it proved they don’t necessarily need Neves to play all the time.

The most consistent performer, however, has been the aforementioned Moutinho.

In 2020/21, he is completing passes at a rate of 87.5% while performing 2.2 successful tackles a match in the league.

He is the perfect deep-lying midfielder and lays the foundations from which Wolves attack.

His successor?

Wolves fans still get giddy when they talk about Moutinho playing for them. A player with 129 caps for Portugal to his name, he has been one of the stand out midfielders of the last decade.

However, at the age of 34, he is no spring chicken and Nuno will need to start thinking about how they can replace him in a few years time.

Well, the man to do so could be Bruno Jordao, someone Wolves have to unleash once he returns from his loan spell with Famalicao in Portugal.

The 22-year-old signed from Lazio last season but on his debut, he picked up a nasty ankle ligament injury that ruled him out for a succession of months.

Afforded the opportunity to gain regular minutes on loan, he is now thriving.

Described as a “superb technician”, he has shown evidence of being able to produce similar numbers to Moutinho in Famalicao’s midfield.

For instance, he is an assured passer and also knows how to intercept and defend well. In Liga NOS this season, Jordao has managed 1.4 tackles and 1.4 interceptions a game.

Speaking recently, he admitted: “Defensively I am aware of what is happening on the whole field during the whole game so I can position myself in a really good way and with the ball. My vision and my control and my shooting on the left side of the field can create good chances for the team to score. They are my best qualities.”

It’s safe to say that sounds a lot like Moutinho.

In other news, check out why Ruben Neves could become a headache for Wolves...