Eight days away from the beginning of Wolves' Premier League campaign, Enzo Maresca's Chelsea have reportedly reached an agreement for the transfer of Pedro Neto.
The Portuguese winger is set to move to Stamford Bridge for a reported €60m fee upfront with a further €3m in add-ons.
Wolves are no strangers to a frantic start to a season - it is a year to the day since Gary O'Neil was appointed as Head Coach after Julen Lopetegui's untimely departure.
But Neto's exit feels different. It offers Wanderers fans a mix of emotions.
His box office, darting forward runs that had full-backs across the country back-pedalling will be missed, but his time spent in the physio room makes the break that little bit easier.
But how will Neto be remembered in the West Midlands? From his derby day delight to free kicks on the continent, we take a look back at the last five years.
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European Breakthrough
Neto arrived at Molineux in August 2019, joining a side that had just beaten Crusaders 6-1 on aggregate, advancing to the UEFA Europa League's Third Qualifying Round.
Joining from Lazio - in a deal that also saw Bruno Jordao also added to the Black and Gold ranks - a 19-year-old Neto was handed his debut against FC Pyunik in front of 30,000 expectant spectators.
After a comprehensive 4-0 drubbing a week prior in Yerevan, Armenia, a rotated Wolves side matched the scoreline at Molineux, with Neto breaking the deadlock to mark his debut with a goal, celebrating with those on the front row of the Southbank.
Wolves' European adventures were where Neto was trusted most by boss Nuno Espirito Santo, playing 329 minutes across eight games in the competition proper.
Neto's sliding doors moment came in a behind-closed-doors match in Athens. Wolves travelled to face an Olympiacos side who had been in the midst of a COVID-19 saga, with UEFA - almost laughably - forcing the game to go ahead despite those in the Molineux hierarchy wanting the match postponed.
In a cagey affair, Neto's deflected free-kick found its way past a helpless Jose Sa, pulling Wolves level just 13 minutes after falling behind. The match ended 1-1, but Neto had found himself a spot in Nuno's starting 11.
On the return from a prolonged three month break, Wolves travelled to a relegation threatened West Ham United for Project Restart, with a win leaving them well in the mix for a UEFA Champions League spot.
Neto, this time being used from the bench, came on to seal a 2-0 victory with a magnificent strike, his best in Old Gold. 100 days after his equaliser in Athens, the youngster connected with a thunderous left-footed volley that found the roof of the Hammers' net.
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Injuries
In the fully COVID-19 affected 2020/21 season, Wolves were plunged into uncertainty after a devastating and life-threatening injury to number nine Raul Jimenez.
The human impact on those around the club was clear to see, but the ruthless nature of the Premier League left no time for Wolves to catch their breath, falling from a European race in late November to a potential relegation battle by mid-February.
In the absence of their main man, Neto stepped up. The winger netted five and assisted a further six in a low-scoring Wolves side that eventually avoided the drop by 17 points.
Winners against Fulham and Chelsea as well as game-changing spells against Southampton and Arsenal saw the youthful winger dragging an often lifeless side towards safety, form that put him on the verge of making Portugal's UEFA Euro 2020 squad.
But all was about to change.
Adama Traore's stoppage time winner at Craven Cottage saw the hosts all but consigned to relegation straight back to the Championship, while seeing Wolves virtually safe, yet all eyes were still on Neto.
The winger was substituted in the first-half after attempting to run off a knee injury that ultimately saw him side-lined for 10 months.
Upon his return in February, Neto saw out the final stretch of the 2021/22 season, netting his first goal in over 15 months when he broke the deadlock against title chasing Liverpool on the final day of the season.
A sub-par beginning to the 2022/23 campaign saw Bruno Lage's job under threat as Wolves travelled to West Ham, the scene of Neto's stunning volley two years previous. History repeated itself on this day, but not for the right reasons.
Again, Neto went down injured, this time holding his ankle. Just like he did 18-months prior on the other side of London, the winger tried to run his injury off, but was ultimately forced off before half-time. It was revealed that damaged ankle ligaments would rule him out until February, missing his second major international tournament in the process.
A return under Lopetegui and a ferocious start to O'Neil's tenure had supporters dreaming that the Neto of 2020 was back, but injuries reared their ugly head once more in October 2023, as a dancing run through the Newcastle United midfield came to an abrupt end. Neto had injured his hamstring.
The injury ruled the then 23-year-old out until late December, coming back to spearhead Wolves during a congested winter period, before the injury reoccurred in early March, all but ending his campaign.
Out of a possible 230 games since his arrival in the West Midlands, Neto missed 95 of them. Across the last three seasons, he missed 55% of all Premier League games.
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The Man for the Big Moments
Neto's best return in a Wolves shirt came in his final season at Molineux, despite only featuring in 24 games in all competitions.
Neto managed three goals and 11 assists in a system that had saw a stale and dogged Wolves side rejuvenated into a dangerous counter-attacking side. His nine assists in the league saw him just four behind league leader Ollie Watkins, despite missing 18 league matches.
Yet it was his goals that will live long in the memory of those who watched him from the terraces.
His first of the season came at Kenilworth Road, taking it upon himself to burst around the outside of Luton Town's defence, leaving Tom Lockyer in his wake before firing a vicious effort past Thomas Kaminski.
His final goal in Old Gold came against Manchester United, bagging a stoppage time equaliser before Kobbie Mainoo stole the show. But just five days prior, Neto became a Wolves legend.
O'Neil's men made the 11 mile trip across the Black Country to face local rivals West Bromwich Albion. It was the Black Country Derby's first outing with fans in attendance since The Baggies ran out 5-1 winners at Molineux in February 2012, but Wolves would come out on top this time.
In an unsurprisingly fiery encounter, in which the game was postponed due to crowd trouble for 39 minutes, Neto broke the deadlock, finishing off a solo run by tucking a left-footed effort in Josh Griffiths’ bottom corner. Celebrating by putting his fingers in his ears before the Smethwick End - a celebration usually reserved for the City Ground - photographers snapped a photo that Wanderers fans hold close to their hearts.
The goal will be Neto's lasting memory on a fanbase who were deprived of an away win at The Hawthorns for 28 long years.
A modern footballing cliché is that fans just want players who will give their all for the badge, and Neto certainly never lacked heart when competing for Wolves. Football romantics may hope that Wolves and Neto will meet again in future, preferably a more meaningful meeting than when Chelsea travel to Molineux on August 24th.
