Is Jhon Arias the answer to Wolves' goal shortage?

Matheus Cunha got 15 goals and six assists in the Premier League last season - alongside two more goals in the FA Cup - and is an incredibly difficult player to replace.

Rayan Ait-Nouri got five goals and eight assists in all competitions last season - with the majority in the top flight - before his move to Manchester City.

Pablo Sarabia was less impactful, but was experienced and knew how to get an assist, while also scoring some important goals in 2024/25.

Wolves still have a lot of work to do to complete their current squad and will use every possible second of the transfer window to make it a reality.

Jorgen Strand Larsen netted 14 times last season in a superb debut campaign and remains with the group, but Wolves must find the answer to replacing those goals for the upcoming campaign.

Vitor Pereira does not want a team that is overreliant on one star - he wants a cohesive unit that works together and shares the responsibility.

But in every team there must be a stand-out and Wolves will hope Jhon Arias is that player.

Although he has not yet played in Europe, at 27-years-old he is much more experienced than the other signings and had a strong record at Fluminense with 47 goals and 55 assists in 230 games.

The forward will play as one of the number 10s either side of Larsen and showed some good signs in his first outing, as he scored against Girona in a friendly on Sunday.

He now needs to translate that to the best league in the world.

“It's a good experiment for me, I feel good with Wolves," Arias said.

"It’s amazing, the group received me good, and the coach. I’m really happy to be here.

“It was an amazing feeling, this moment, my first goal with the shirt of Wolves. I hope we have a great season.”

Arias speaks a small amount of English and is preparing to take lessons, but he has some familiar faces in countryman Yerson Mosquera and former Fluminense team-mate Andre to help him adapt.

Pereira also speaks Spanish, as do the majority of the squad, meaning the Colombian should find it easier to adapt to life at Wolves.

He was already playing the Brazilian season when he signed, meaning he will have a long Premier League campaign with few breaks and may need to be managed, but for Wolves he may be the key forward to any success this year.

Arias added: “I feel good, my first minutes. I can adapt better with the group and the reception was good for me and the adaptation with Yerson, with Andre – regular, familiar face, it’s easier for me. So, I’m really happy.

“I have a lot of expectations for this season. We have a great group, with very good players and we have a manager that I know very well, and I think it will be a great season for Wolverhampton.

“Yerson welcomed me here. He’s been in Wolverhampton for way longer than me and has been a translator for me. 

"It’s clear that I’m going to start taking English lessons to improve the way I pronounce and speak. I understand English quite well, but my speech is not perfect, I lack practice.

“Despite the result (against Girona), I managed to play my first minutes, I felt good and I’m expecting a great season for me and for the team.”