“My plan for next season is that he’s here & part of the squad, I’m sure if I call him and say would you like to play 38 games in the PL next year, he’d probably say he’ll love to”- Gary O’Neil confirms decision on future of 22-year-old Wolves star as he looks to bring player back to Molineux next season
As the 2023/24 campaign begins to fizz out, Wolves will have their eyes on the summer as Gary O’Neil continues to weather the storm of his side’s lack of depth.
The squad have done an impressive job of achieving such highs against the odds throughout the season, with the Old Gold comfortably sitting mid-table after the nightmares that arose last summer.
Now that it’s clear that O’Neil is the right man for the Molineux job, the boss will hope to kick on and improve his squad ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, with one highly impressive loanee set to return to the club.
In January, Colombian defender Yerson Mosquera returned from his ‘outstanding’ loan spell at MLS side FC Cincinnati and was sent back out to gain experience in Spain with Villarreal.
The Spanish side were denied the option to purchase the 22-year-old at the point of his arrival, with O’Neil recently giving a fresh update on the club’s stance on the centre-back ahead of his pending return, via Express and Star.
“He’ll be back with the other loanees and assessed ready for next season.
“My plans from the outset, and even in January, were to have him around us. The decision was made in January that maybe, for where he was mentally and what he needed, it was to play some more games.
“That was fine for the second half of this season, but my plan for next season is that he’s here and part of the squad, or at least judged by us with a view to him being part of the squad before any decision is made.”
Talk regarding any doubt over Mosquera’s future at Molineux comes as he told Spanish media of his desire to remain in Spain, comments that O’Neil dismissed.
“He’s a nice guy and I’m guessing if you’re sat in Spain at Villarreal and someone asks you if you’d like to stay, the normal answer is ‘oh yeah I’d love to stay’.
“You never know what will happen, but I’m sure if I call him and say ‘would you like to play 38 games in the Premier League next year’, he’d probably say ‘oh yeah I’d love to’.
I’m not too sure where it’s come from, I’m not aware that he’s spoken to us and told us he’d like to stay in Spain.”
Mosquera has quickly become a key member of the squad at Villarreal, starting seven of his 10 opening games in La Liga.
It’s clear that the Colombian is at the level required to play in the Premier League for the Old Gold, supported by O’Neil’s comments on the prospect that he could play ‘38 games’ in the top flight next campaign.
Of course, the manager was speaking theoretically however, all paths are currently leading to the 22-year-old becoming a prominent figure at Molineux next term, a development that is interesting ahead of the summer.
