Welcome to Wolves - Japan Moutinho

[Lycan]

João. Believe.

 

[Alan]

"I was going to sign the contract, but then I saw that they still don't know my name on the forum!"

 

[Tredman]

My favourite thread deserves this:

 

[Spartacus]

Thanks Tredman, wish I could benefit from a glass of that right now!

Starting this thread has been my proudest achievement on the interweb.

 

[leedswolf]

Great thread Grizz...

 

[Lycan]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1622174190630768648

Didn't realise that it was João's 200th Wolves game until Wolves posted this. A quality performance from him yesterday to top it off.

Best £5M we ever spent.

 

[jlo]

Is his contract ending this summer? I know we have a riches of options in CM, but I'd seriously consider another year for the experience he brings if he is happy not starting every game and give him possibly the first steps into coaching if he wants to go that way. Might be all the more important IF Neves has to move this summer.

 

[sycophantia]

I saw a post on the Mix last week (so its almost certainly nonsense) saying he's doing his coaching badges and would like a role with Wolves next season.

 

[Alan]

I’m so glad we never corrected the thread title here.

 

[Carsy]

Is his contract ending this summer? I know we have a riches of options in CM, but I'd seriously consider another year for the experience he brings if he is happy not starting every game and give him possibly the first steps into coaching if he wants to go that way. Might be all the more important IF Neves has to move this summer.

Absolutely no issue with him staying. Model pro, can still play, albeit not 40 games a season but with the options we have, he won’t need to.

 

[North Shropshire Lad]

We used Moutinho yesterday in exactly the right way and with the correct recruitment and manager, the way we should have been using him for at least the last 12 months. Whether this is sufficient to warrant another £5m a year contract I’m not sure but one based on a more realistic figure split between this type of role as a player and a coaching position I’d be all for.

 

[The Bear]

Weren't we trying to reduce his wages when we offered him another one or two year extension?

That'd be fine now with the midfielders we've bought in, but with the prospect of Neves and possibly Nunes leaving in the near future, we may have to bite the bullet and give him what he wants..

 

[Johnny75]

I'm hoping JL can convince Neves to sign a new contract.

 

[PuntsWolf]

There doesn’t seem to be a market for him still. So there’s every chance he’s still here after the summer.

Whether he’d sign a new deal or not I don’t know. Would need a lot of assurances.

Maybe he runs the contract down and then still signs for us anyway if we’re on a big upward trajectory and there’s no outrageous contract offer from a title challenger.

 

[The Bear]

I thought he wants to go to Barca?

 

[Kenny]

I thought he wants to go to Barca?

If he likes earning promises of money rather than actual money would be a good move.

Seems Jorge wants him there but 2 things could prevent it
1) The previously mentioned money issues
2) The manager doesn't want him

 

[Tom Hark]

So much depends on how the rest of the season goes, and whether this side looks capable of challenging for Europe next season. I shouldn't think Matheus N. would view moving from us to Liverpool as an upgrade if both continue to display the form they showed yesterday, for example.

 

[Tony Towner]

If Klopp doesn't watch that game yesterday and think Neves massively improves his midfield for 20ishm then he's mad. Only question for me is if he wants to stay in England. I hope he doesn't

 

[Wolvensam]

I'm hoping JL can convince Neves to sign a new contract.

It's unlikely but not beyond the realms of possibility that him and Nunes are still here if Europa League becomes a realistic possibility for the season after next.

For all Ruben's displays week in, week out, he's not someone who is heavily linked with moves away (see Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice).

 

[Del Woppio]

What's going with the little magician, then? Lop says he's made himself unavailable for the last two games, as said it would be better if either Joao or the club came out with a statement.

I *kind* if get it if he's trying to protect himself from injury with a view to his next move, but it doesn't sit wonderfully with me if I'm honest. It seems completely at odds with the character that we've gotten used to over the years.

It in no way diminishes his impact on the club, and the fondness which we all have for him, but it does seem a pretty unsavoury way to end his time here