Wolverhampton Wanderers have cemented their Premier League status since this promotion in 2018, enjoying the highs and recently becoming exposed to lows of the game in the top tier.
The Old Gold won the Championship in style in the 2017/18 campaign under Nuno Espirito Santo, securing 99 points and booking their return to the Premier League after six years away.
Last season induced some worrying times at Molineux, as Bruno Lage was dismissed in October with the squad left in poor form.
Julen Lopetegui took charge in November, however, it took the Spaniard some time to find his feet, with a large span of poor results seeing Wolves occupy the bottom of the table on Christmas Day.
The former Real Madrid boss worked miracles by dragging the Midlands side from the relegation zone to finish 13th, however, the struggles at Molineux were far from being abolished based on the on-field improvements.
After nine months in charge, Lopetegui left his post due to broken promises from those above him, relating to the depths of Wolves’ financial woes that put significant restrictions in place in the summer window.
Gary O’Neil took charge to ensure the club had a manager ahead of the 2023/24 campaign, after a period of time that made Nuno’s glory days seem so far away.
One of the catalysts behind Wolves’ success at the point of their return to the Premier League was Raul Jimenez, who was signed initially on a season-long loan in 2018.
How much did Wolves sign Raul Jimenez for?
The Mexican was snatched up on a permanent basis by the Old Gold for a fee of £30m from Benfica, after hugely impressing during his time on loan.
As documented by Football Transfers, the striker had an expected transfer value (xTV) of just €11.8m (£10.2m), a figure that quickly rose thanks to his heroics during his introduction to life in England.
In 2021, the Mexico international’s xTV hit its peak, seeing his value rise to €37m (£32m) as the striker continued to showcase his talents in the Premier League, consistently proving his importance in the squad at Molineux.
How many goals did Raul Jimenez score?
Throughout his career, the forward has shown a rich vein of form in the final third, with his domestic goal tally currently sitting at 127 to represent his time with CF America, Atletico Madrid, Benfica and Wolves.
In his debut campaign in England during the 2018/19 season, Jimenez became one of Nuno’s star players, leading the line by example as he netted 13 goals and recorded eight assists in the Premier League.
Away from the league, the Mexican continued his form in front of goal, scoring four in six appearances in the FA Cup that term to take his overall domestic season tally to 17.
When the dynamic forward made his stay in the Midlands permanent, his performance level didn’t drop, in fact, it catapulted, as he inspired Nuno’s side to progress in the league and the Europa League.
Wolves reached the quarter-finals of the European competition that season, where Jimenez was on the scoresheet four times in nine appearances, also recording three assists.
