Inside Wolves’ ties with super-agent Jorge Mendes | OneFootball

Since Fosun’s 2016 takeover, Wolves’ ties to Jorge Mendes and Gestifute have delivered major highs and expensive missteps, and the relationship still shapes key decisions at Molineux.

Early recruits such as Helder Costa, Ruben Neves and Diogo Jota underpinned promotion. With Gestifute client Nuno Espirito Santo, Wolves twice finished seventh and reached the Europa League quarters and FA Cup semis, ExpressAndStar.com reports.

Big-money misfires followed, including Matheus Nunes, Goncalo Guedes and £35 million Fabio Silva, a deal Mendes helped drive. Wolves later cut reliance, with Mendes now representing Jose Sa, Matt Doherty and loanee Fer Lopez.

He has acted as an intermediary to recruit, helping land Emmanuel Agbadou and Marshall Munetsi from Reims in winter 2025, and driving Ladislav Krejci’s signing for an eventual £26 million.

An FA transactions document for 4 February 2025 to 2 February 2026 names Mendes twice. Registered agent Andrew Quinn appears 12 times, including six Wolves matters, representing the club on sales of Matheus Cunha, Jorgen Strand Larsen and Rayan Ait-Nouri.

Gestifute are understood to claim around 10 per cent on such sales. That raises why Wolves cannot run deals themselves, given Larsen’s switch to Crystal Palace, rising to £48 million, and Cunha’s £62.5 million release-clause move to Manchester United.

The club can argue Mendes’ reach helps maximise fees, with nearly £7 million profit on Jhon Arias and a £17.5 million sale of Agbadou after Besiktas initially offered much less. Agent payments doubled to almost £26 million, including £12.5 million deferred to Gestifute, and Fosun reportedly hold 20 per cent of Mendes’ holding company.

As Wolves await relegation to the Championship, balance is essential to avoid over-reliance on any individual. A pivotal summer lies ahead, Mendes will likely be involved, but the club’s interests must come first.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com