Dave Edwards: It’s the end of an era with Raul Jimenez set to leave Wolves

He helped take the team to a new level completely. Wolves had not had a striker like him probably since Steve Bull. The kind of player who could really run the frontline. The goals and assists he got in that first season were excellent.

With the other players who have gone this summer – Neves, Moutinho, Adama and Conor Coady – it feels like an iconic group has left in the space of just a few weeks.

They were huge figures in the most successful Wolves team of my lifetime.

On the other hand, their departures were always on the cards. You would hope Jimenez leaving means another striker will be coming in. Fabio Silva’s future is still up in the air and you just don’t know how Sasa Kalajdzic is going to be, coming back from a major knee injury. Matheus Cunha doesn’t seem like an out-and-out striker.

I’ve always stressed the need to be patient with how the club are doing things, bringing money in to ease Financial Fair Play concerns before recruiting. But as we edge closer to the season, you can understand if supporters are getting more desperate to see people come through the door to strengthen the squad.

I always felt last season was a one-off and that Wolves would be able to go and kick on because I really do believe Julen Lopetegui is an elite manager. I expect there to be signings coming in. The positive is he’s had more time to work with the squad, to get his ideas across and they should be better for that. But at the same time, he needs to freshen up the group.

Matt Doherty is now through the door and as I said last week, I think that is a very good deal.

At 31, I would say Doc is in his prime. That is certainly the age I was playing my best football, when I was still fit but most crucially had experience.

While people are perhaps looking at Doherty to back up Nelson Semedo, I expect him to have a really good go at making one of those full-back positions his own.

Wolves have also been linked with Aaron Cresswell at West Ham. Again, he is perhaps not the kind of signing who would get pulses racing but at 33 he offers so much experience.

When you consider Wolves’ first-choice left-back is likely to be a 20-year-old in Hugo Bueno, having someone who has been there and done it to back him up and provide cover could work really well.

I know Wolves are looking to have more leaders in the group, in particular British players. That is something they maybe lacked last year.

It makes the core of the squad stronger and makes sense. At the same time, it is obvious they need to go out and get some good, high quality signings through the door who can take the team to the next level. I’m hoping for a busy couple of weeks.

I’d like to finish this column by paying tribute to Trevor Francis. It goes without saying he was an icon of Midlands football, the first £1million player.

He also had a successful career in the media and as someone who is just venturing into that world, I have heard some great stories about the person he was from former colleagues.

I remember listening to him on TV and radio as a kid and that helped provide inspiration for me and others pursuing a second career after playing.