Copyright GIVEMESPORT
Fer Lopez must be scratching his head as to why he's been afforded little game time at a time when Wolverhampton Wanderers are struggling for a creative spark and are currently favourites to suffer relegation. Vitor Pereira's men have endured a nightmare start to the season, and the pressure is growing on the Portuguese coach despite him signing a new three-year contract in September. His men sit rock-bottom in the Premier League table with just three points from nine games. Lopez played no part in a disastrous 3-2 loss at home to Burnley on Sunday (October 26), when a win was vital given the relegation battle the Old Gold find themselves in. The decision to sign the Spanish attacking midfielder is a puzzling one that maybe suggests differing opinions upstairs. Wolves' Reckless Recruitment Proving Costly Lopez arrived at Molineux in a £19 million deal, which was a hefty fee for a 21-year-old who was unproven and had made just 20 senior appearances for Celta Vigo. He followed in the footsteps of Jorge Strand Larsen, who also made the move from the La Liga club. Larsen has been a hit with Wolves and was on the scoresheet from the penalty spot in the loss to Burnley. But the club's transfer chiefs brought the Norwegian frontman to the West Midlands initially on loan, giving them breathing room to assess his long-term value. GIVEMESPORT Key Statistic: Fer Lopez is the 10th most expensive signing in Wolves' history Surely Domenico Teti, who became new sporting director a month before Lopez's arrival, knew the risk of paying a significant fee for a player from a foreign league. What's worse is that Pereira is already preferring others to the two-cap Spain U21 international. Wolves' recruitment team cannot go without scrutiny, as their transfer business has left the squad lacking Premier League experience. The defeat to Burnley means Pereira's men have lost seven of nine league games. Lopez was one of seven signings made by the club in the summer and questions have to be asked of the decision makers at Molineux. We have seen how helpful it can be for teams facing a likely relegation scrap to rely on players with knowledge and understanding of English top-flight football.
