It has been all but confirmed that Matheus Cunha is going to depart Wolverhampton Wanderers this summer.
Their talismanic number ten seems set to join Manchester United for £62.5m, the value of his release clause, with Fabrizio Romano giving the move the famous “Here We Go” as recently as Tuesday.
For the Old Gold, losing a player as impactful as Cunha will be a huge blow. He has been pivotal in the past two seasons, helping to keep them in the Premier League. In the top flight in 2024/25, the Brazilian scored 15 times and assisted six goals in 33 appearances.
Dealing with such a sale will not be easy for the West Midlands outfit. However, he might not be the only key player set to leave Molineux this summer. Nelson Semedo could also be on his way out.
The latest on Semedo’s Wolves future
Just like Cunha is going forward, Semedo is pivotal for this Wolves side defensively. The Portugal international has also had a huge part to play for the Old Gold’s survival this season, but could be in line to depart the club, too.
According to a report from A Bola last Tuesday, a Portuguese news outlet, the player has ‘confirmed that Benfica is trying to sign him’ this summer, on what would be a free transfer. His deal at Molineux expires in a few weeks.
Indeed, the report suggests that Semedo has explained a return to his former side is something that ‘appeals to him’ this summer. He came through the academy as an As Aguias player, and was born in Lisbon.
There is no doubt that losing Semedo would be a blow. He played 34 times for the club in the Premier League in 2024/25, grabbing four assists and taking over the captaincy in the second half of the campaign.
He is also one of the highest earners in the squad, on £80k-per-week. If anything, that reflects his importance on the Old Gold, and given Cunha earns £90k-per-week, that seems to be a trend throughout their squad, for the most part.
There is one example of a high earner whose performances at Molineux do not match up to how much he earns. In fact, he is earning even more money per week than Semedo.
The Wolves player earning more than Semedo
Wolves have put in some disappointing performances at times over the past few years, almost getting dragged into relegation fights in the Premier League. One man who has never really shown his best form for the Old Gold is Goncalo Guedes.
Over two seasons for Wolves, the former Benfica academy star has played just 51 times, having been loaned out back to his boyhood side, and Spanish side Villarreal. He has managed just seven goals and six assists in those appearances.
This season was another frustrating campaign for the 28-year-old, who was once said to be “two years ahead of his age” by former Benfica boss Jorge Jesus. He made 29 Premier League appearances, but could only muster five goals and five assists. He also scored twice in the Carabao Cup against Burnley at the start of 2024/25.
Incredibly, Guedes is one of the players at Molineux who earns more per week than Semedo. Like Cunha, he is on £90k-per-week, although it certainly feels like it is not as reflective of performance as it is for their outgoing number 10.
Goncalo Guedes, Matheus Cunha, Pablo Sarabia
£90k
£4.68m
Nelson Semedo
£80k
£4.68m
Hee-chan Hwang
£70k
£4.16m
Boubacar Traore
£55k
£2.86m
Matt Doherty
£50k
£2.6m
It certainly seems like Wolves should look to cash in on Guedes this summer. His returns have not quite been what they would have wanted, and they could recoup some of the £27.5m fee they paid for him, whilst also saving money on wages.
If he does depart Molineux, it seems he will not be the only high-earner to leave. With that being said, it does feel like a case of what could have been for Guedes in that famous Old Gold shirt.
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