Time for Raul Jimenez & Wolves to Find Their Groove Again After Signing New Deal

It seems absolutely ludicrous to suggest that Wolves’ three games without a win in all competitions represents a dramatic dip in form, but for a team that’s set such high standards since their Premier League return two years ago - that’s exactly what it is.

To put Wolves’ incredible form in recent years into context, since Nuno Espirito Santo arrived at Molineux in May 2017, the club have never suffered more than three defeats in a row in all competitions. That's a quite remarkable achievement when you consider he’s overseen the rigours of a 46-game Championship season, a maiden campaign back in the Premier League and a top-flight season strewn with midweek Europa League fixtures.

A huge part of Nuno’s success since arriving in The Black Country has been built around the talismanic figure of Raúl Jiménez.

In a transfer window where it seems just about every top club was in the market for a centre-forward, Jiménez was one of the most sought after properties in European football, and Wolves’ recent announcement that they’ve tied the 29-year-old down to a new four-year deal is quite frankly nothing short of unbelievable business.

In the prime of his career, Jiménez had the pick of some of European football’s behemoths and he’s chosen to stay put and spearhead the Wolves frontline.

However, the news that Jiménez had signed a new deal - and thus has most likely been locked in contract discussions for some time - came as no surprise to anyone who has even paid a modicum of interest in Wolves’ early-season form.

Having produced arguably the standout performance of the Premier League so far in the first half of Nuno’s side’s comfortable 2-0 win over Sheffield United on the opening day, since then the frontman has been a shadow of his usual self.

Behind-the-scenes discussions were evidently playing on the centre-forward’s mind and they were have a massively adverse effect on his performances.

No longer the focal point of the Wolves attack, no longer making intelligent runs to manoeuvre space for his teammates. While having a superstar like Jiménez in the ranks of a team of Wolves’ stature is at times unfathomable, of course the team will be built around their qualities and strengths. When the talisman is on form this reaps evident rewards, however, when he doesn’t turn up – Wolves don’t turn up.

The departure of Diogo Jota this summer provided Nuno with a substantial transfer war chest to invest in other areas of the squad, with former Barcelona man Nelson Semedo arriving shortly after the Jota deal was concluded.

However, the departure of the Spaniard has placed yet further emphasis on an already heavily burdened Jiménez. Wolves’ go-to frontline support since his exit have been Adama Traore and Daniel Podence, both of whom have bags of potential yet lack the consistency that Jota could bring.  

With his new deal in the bag and any potential discussions regarding his future a thing of the past, Jiménez needs to get back to doing what he does best – scoring goals and being the focal point of Wolves’ machine-like starting XI - because the club badly need him, and he's no doubt got a bumper salary he needs to start repaying.