One of the most exciting projects in the Premier League at the moment is that of Wolves. Gary O’Neil’s side have been one of the surprise packages in the competition this season, having been tipped by many to get relegated at the start of the campaign.
However, they are currently in 12th, on 46 points, but are just three points behind ninth place West Ham United. In 36 matches so far this season, Wolves have won 13, drawn seven, and lost 16.
O’Neil has turned them into a very tricky side to come up against. At Molineux, they have won eight of their 18 matches, whilst away from home, they have won five times, according to Understat.
They also have some deadly players in transition, who O’Neil has certainly got the best out of. Namely, they are Hwang Hee-chan, who has 12 goals and three assists in the Premier League, Pedro Neto who has scored twice and has nine assists, and Matheus Cunha who has a superb 11 goals and seven assists in the top flight.
No doubt, Wolves are one of the deadliest sides in transition, with Cunha and Neto wonderful ball carriers and superb creators, whilst Hwang has superb instinct in the penalty area and is clinical in front of goal.
However, Wolves did previously have another excellent transitional player on their books, who they let go of last season.
Morgan Gibbs-White's season in numbers
The player in question here is Nottingham Forest attacking midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White. The 24-year-old joined Forest for £42.5m in the summer of 2022, and is a key player at the club, under former Steve Cooper and current manager Nuno Espirito Santo.
It is fair to say there is no love lost between Gibbs-White and the fans of his former side. In a Carabao Cup tie last season, he scored a penalty in a shootout which he celebrated by putting his fingers in his ears right in front of the Wolves fans. This season, he antagonised them further, by repeating his celebration and kissing the Forest badge.
Ironically, Gibbs-White could have been superb under O’Neil, had he stayed at Wolves last season. He has been Forest’s best player this season, having scored five goals and registering eight assists.
Not only that, he has created the most chances, with 15, averages the most key passes per 90 minutes, with two, and completes the third most dribbles per 90 minutes, with 1.2, as per Sofascore.
Goals & assists
13
=1st
Chances created per 90
15
1st
Key passes per 90
2
1st
Dribbles per 90
1.2
3rd
Stats from SofaScore
Gibbs-White’s superb carrying ability would have been excellent for Wolves in 2023/24, potentially slotting in perfectly into this current Wolves side, helping them move further up the table.
With that being said, he made his decision to leave in the summer of 2022, before O’Neil’s tenure. Whilst he would have been excellent under the Englishman, they may have someone else coming through into the first team who could be just as good as Gibbs-White.
Luke Cundle's season in numbers
Wolves midfielder Luke Cundle is currently on loan at Stoke City, as well as being at Plymouth Argyle in the first half of the season. He is an exciting academy product who could well break into Gary O’Neil’s first team next season.
He has five goals and seven assists in the Championship this season for both clubs and has certainly impressed on loan so far.
In one particular game for Stoke, a 4-0 victory over Bristol City, Cundle was given a 9/10 rating by Stoke On Trent Live journalist Peter Smith. He explained the Wolves man played with “energy, skill and commitment”, with his “one-touch play and movement” being “integral” to the way the Potters played.
Indeed, Cundle is a very creative force, this season averaging 1.88 key passes per 90 minutes, as per Fbref, which ranks him in the top 10%. This is just slightly less than Gibbs-White’s two key passes per 90 minutes.
The youngster is highly thought about, with his former manager Rusell Martin at Swansea, a club he was previously on loan at, explaining that he is “a player to be excited about, he is technically gifted, and intelligent."
There is no doubt that, in Cundle, Wolves have an exciting attacking midfielder coming through. He has already played four times in the Premier League, and after a successful 2023/24 season in the Championship – a division Gibbs-White thrived in prior to his Forest move with 12 goals and ten assists for Sheffield United – he could well get another shot in the top flight next season.
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