Loan Watch: How have Wolves' loanees started the season?
Tawanda Chirewa and Nathan Fraser have been sent out on loan for this campaign after featuring for the first team last season. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
By
Follow VAVEL on Google

A number of Gary O’Neil’s nine loanees have already got valuable minutes under their belts in the early stages of this campaign.

Of the nine, three are applying their trade in the Championship and League One, while the other six are elsewhere in Europe looking to work their way into O’Neil’s future plans.

Loans have worked well for some current Wolves players, such as Colombian defender Yerson Mosquera who worked his way into the first team after spells in USA and Spain with FC Cincinatti and Villareal.

Some players however have not managed to repeat the same, Daniel Podence returned from a loan spell at Olympiacos this summer but departed to Al-Shabab in Saudi Arabia soon after his return.

How have the loanees got on?

Despite only signing on the 28 August, Hodge has already made an impact for the Terriers, scoring just seven minutes into his substitute debut on Saturday away at Rotherham United.

The 21-year-old midfielder highlighted to the Huddersfield fans exactly what he can do as he arrived late into the box and placed a smart, composed finish into the bottom corner.

The hosts did eventually prevail and claim their first win of the season, but Hodge certainly impressed for Michael Duff’s men.

A player with over 40 Premier League appearances to his name, it was perhaps a surprise that Hugo Bueno was let go on loan this season, despite the club’s lack of depth at left-back behind Rayan Ait-Nouri.

The 21-year-old should thrive at Feyenoord, with a chance to show off his attacking and defensive qualities in a side that came second in the Eredivisie last year.

Bueno impressed in his only showing to date, providing an assist for the opening goal in the club’s 5-1 victory against PEC Zwolle.

  • Ki-Jana Hoever - Auxerre

After a positive loan spell at Stoke City last campaign, the former Liverpool youngster has made the move to France for this season, looking to show off his talents in Ligue 1 at AJ Auxerre.

However, his second appearance for the club ended prematurely as he was handed a second yellow card and was sent off on the stroke of half-time against Le Havre.

His debut did highlight his talents though, as Hoever put in a solid performance despite a 2-0 defeat to Nantes, when he won 100% of his attempted tackles and completed 90% of his attempted passes.

A player currently on International duty with Zimbabwe, Chirewa featured for Derby County in the Rams’ penalty shootout defeat to League Two side Barrow.

It was a tough night in Cumbria for Paul Warne’s side and the 20-year-old struggled to make an impact, before he was left on the bench for Saturday’s emphatic 3-0 victory over Bristol City.

  • Nathan Fraser - Zulte Waregem

Born in Wolverhampton, the striker has played just 16 minutes of football so far in Belgium’s second tier for Zulte Waregem.

The youngster made a name for himself at Molineux when he netted a crucial equaliser in the Wanderers’ 3-2 FA Cup replay win over Brentford in January.

Fraser also made seven Premier League appearances as Wolves’ injury crisis grew last season, so the 19-year-old will be hoping to make an impact.

  • Chiquinho - RCD Mallorca

After a full 90 minutes against Burnley in the EFL Cup and a short cameo on the opening day against Arsenal, many fans were surprised when Chiquinho was allowed to leave on deadline day.

The 24-year-old burst on to the Wolves scene in early 2022, when numerous electrifying substitute performances excited Wolves fans.

Unfortunately, a serious injury meant he missed the entirety of the 2022/23 season before he returned to action in August 2023, when a short stint at Stoke City was followed by four goals in 20 games at Famalicao.

O’Neil and Wolves supporters will be hoping a season in La Liga with Mallorca can help Chiquinho to get back to the thrilling form he showed in his first year at Molineux.

It is fair to say that the £35 million signing of Fabio Silva from Porto has not quite worked out how Wolves envisaged it would.

Four years on, Silva has made 72 appearances in Old Gold, in which he has netted just five goals.

Loan spells at Anderlecht and PSV Eindhoven showed promise, but his stint at Rangers was not prolific and he did not do enough to get himself back into the first team plans at Molineux.

The 22-year-old has moved to UD Las Palmas for this campaign, where he will compete with former Sheffield United striker Oli McBurnie for the striker spot.

It is a third different League One club in 12 months for Chem Campbell who has made the switch to Ruben Selles’ Reading for this term.

Yet to get off the mark for the Royals, the attacking midfielder made 20 third tier appearances last season, scoring two and assisting two for Charlton Athletic.