Wolves have found the perfect player to take on Matheus Cunha’s No. 10 shirt, Vitor Pereira loves him

Wolves supporters are preparing to wave goodbye to Matheus Cunha after watching the Brazilian produce some incredible moments at Molineux over the years.

Although Cunha signed a new contract in January with a £62.5 million release clause inserted, that was just to protect him from leaving midway through the season and guarantee Wolves a sizeable fee.

A number of clubs are now queuing up to sign the 25-year-old, with Cunha’s agent speaking to Manchester United over a possible move to Old Trafford.

Cunha is also Newcastle United’s top target, although the likes of Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa are lurking in the distance.

With a club-record fee waiting to be pocketed for their star forward, who has 15 goals in all competitions, supporters will want some of that invested into a replacement. However, there is someone already at Molineux who could fill his void superbly.

• READ MORE: The amount Wolves could receive as Nottingham Forest slap ludicrous price tag on Morgan Gibbs-White

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde can replace Matheus Cunha at Wolves

Cunha has been suspended for the last four matches after lashing out at Milos Kerkez in the FA Cup defeat against Bournemouth. In that time, Wolves have drawn against Everton and secured a hat-trick of wins over Southampton, West Ham and Ipswich Town to move 12 points clear of the relegation zone.

Position	Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	For	Against	Diff	Points
15	Everton	31	7	14	10	33	38	-5	35
16	West Ham	31	9	8	14	35	52	-17	35
17	Wolves	31	9	5	17	43	59	-16	32
18	Ipswich	31	4	8	19	31	65	-34	20

Jean-Ricner Bellegarde has been an influential figure through that purple patch of form, assisting three times in his last four games, including twice in the win over Southampton.

The 26-year-old has carried the creative burden without Cunha in the team, driving his team forward at pace and creating lots of chances.

While Cunha betters Bellegarde for key passes, shots per 90 and several other metrics aside from tackles per game, the Frenchman has already proven how influential he is without the former Atletico Madrid star.

Individually, the Brazilian is by far the better player, but Bellegarde gets Wolves playing better as a collective unit, and that explains why he has the qualities to replace their star man.

Pereira has already acknowledged that by stating Cunha won’t start against Tottenham on Sunday, despite him returning from his four-match ban.

Vitor Pereira loves Bellegarde

In recent months, it’s been brilliant watching Bellegarde develop into his potential and Wolves are benefitting from the midfielder’s relentless energy, tenacity and quality in the final third.

Alan Shearer lauded Bellegarde as ‘crucial’ when naming him in one of his Team of the Week’s last month, and that demonstrates how people from outside of Molineux are catching onto his talent.

• READ MORE: £21m player admits another Premier League club almost signed him before Wolves, ‘it was close’…

He’s also loved within the football club, with Pereira praising Bellegarde for his ability to play numerous positions, despite initially having doubts over him.

“I’m very happy for him, because he’s a team player, and I like this kind of player,” Pereira said. “In the beginning I had doubts about his position in the system, but now he can play in different positions, he can play as a midfielder, he can play as a forward in between the lines.

“He is a worker, and I like this kind of player.”

Who is Boubacar Traore? Meet the Wolves midfielder desperate to make an impact

The Mali international has been sidelined with injury and is now fighting for minutes up against the favoured pivot of Joao Gomes and Andre.

Though the season has been frustrating for Traore, there’s huge potential for the player to make a name for himself at Wolves – here’s everything you need to know about the midfielder.

Who is Boubacar Traore?

Traore is a defensive midfielder, signed by Wolves permanently in 2023 from FC Metz.

Where and when was Boubacar Traore born?

Traore was born on August 20th, 2001, in Mali’s capital city, Bamako.

How tall is Boubacar Traore?

Traore stands at 6’ 0” tall.

Is Boubacar Traore related to Adama Traore?

Despite having the same surname, Traore is not related to former Wolves winger Adama Traore.

How much did Wolves pay for Boubacar Traore?

After a successful loan spell at Molineux, Wolves signed Traore from Metz for £9.5 million, as the conditions were met for his transfer to become permanent following his 2022-23 loan.