Jose Sa transfer truth emerges at Wolves despite exit ‘talks’ | OneFootball

Jose Sa is expected to leave the newly-relegated outfit this summer

Following Wolverhampton Wanderers' relegation from the Premier League to the Championship, plenty of change has already occurred at Molineux, and more is certainly to be expected in the coming weeks after the appointment of Cesar Peixoto.

The 2026/27 season will be the first time the Old Gold and Black have resided outside English football's top-flight in eight years, and many will be expecting an immediate promotion bid to be mounted at Molineux under the 46-year-old who replaced Rob Edwards last month.

Edwards' exit from the West Midlands outfit had also come in spite of the fact Wanderers clearly went in search of an early advantage in the transfer market compared to their divisional rivals, with both Kieran Trippier and Raul Jimenez signing pre-contract agreements in mid-June, and those deals will have now been made official due to the season's start date.

That said, transfer speculation remains rife around many players who are still a part of Peixoto's squad at present, albeit it remains to be seen just how many of those who were involved in last season's dismal relegation season will still be playing a regular, or any part in the Championship.

The goalkeeping situation at Molineux is one which is likely to generate plenty of intrigue as a result of such intense rumours, and a new transfer update has recently dropped on the future of five-time Portuguese international, Jose Sa.

Fresh Wolves, Jose Sa transfer update emerges involving Besiktas

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Indeed, it was initially claimed by local publication, the Express and Star, at the beginning of June that, as part of a reshuffle in the goalkeepers union, even prior to the surprise change of head coach, that Sa was one of the names expected to leave Wolves throughout the summer transfer window.

The 33-year-old was signed by Bruno Lage in the summer of 2021 from Olympiacos for a reported £6.25m fee, filling the void which was left by his vastly-experienced compatriot, Rui Patricio, whose time in the Black Country ended at the same time as current West Ham boss, Nuno Espírito Santo.

Despite signing a five-year deal at the time, Sa later committed to a four-year contract extension in the summer of 2023, meaning he would be out-of-contract in 12 months' time if his situation was to remain unchanged.

However, the aforementioned publication have now reported that several sides across Europe are monitoring his situation heading into pre-season, and one of those clubs is Turkish giants, Besiktas.

That said, it has been claimed that while discussions between intermediaries have taken place, no formal bid has been put on the table by the Istanbul club who, themselves, only confirmed the appointment of Vicenzo Italiano on June 6th.

The report also outlines that Wolves are prepared to sanction an exit later on in the window due to a 'relaxed' approach, while Sa is currently part of Portugal's World Cup squad under Roberto Martinez.

Sa isn't the only Wolves player who Besiktas have reportedly taken an interest in either, having been linked with Czech defender, Ladislav Krejci just months after acquiring his former centre-back partner, Emmanuel Agbadou.

Wolves will have to move quickly to address goalkeeping situation amid Jose Sa, Sam Johnstone exit talk

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Sa has played 170 times for Wolves since his move from Greece five years ago, keeping a total of 40 clean sheets across all competitions, showcasing that he hasn't always been a mainstay as first-choice goalkeeper under a glut of head coaches.

However, his nous and experience, at times, have been important, even if he clearly wasn't up to the same levels of performance last season, before appearing to be visibly moved on the final day of last season against Burnley, which, again, makes such exit discourse not quite as surprising.

But, Wolves must look to address their goalkeeping situation as soon as possible, with Sam Johnstone's future also uncertain amid reports that he could return to former club, Manchester United, to help Michael Carrick address various squad registration quotas at Old Trafford.

It remains to be seen who could be signed in place of at least one of the two, but there are now just over five weeks until Peixoto's first competitive game in charge against Port Vale in the EFL Cup first round.