When Benfica renewed Gonçalo Guedes’ loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers last summer, there was big expectation about the help he could give the Eagles this season.
The attacker had a short spell in Lisbon earlier this year and was stopped by injuries. That’s one of the reasons why the loan was renewed for a year, and following recovery from knee surgery, he only made his season debut in October.
His performances haven’t been impressive, though, as he only has 151 minutes played in five appearances so far. And in a press conference, Benfica manager Roger Schmidt talked about the situation.
The quotes come from O Jogo.
“My aim is to make him grow so that he can reach his best level again. It wasn’t easy, he came from Wolves, he played a lot, he was good, he injured his knee and now we have him on loan again. We’re developing him after his recovery and he’s ready.
“But he needs minutes to improve and, when he reaches his peak, he’ll be a top player for Benfica. We have to give him minutes, but without overloading him.”
When Guedes returned to Wolves last summer, he was already recovering from that surgery, and that’s why the Molineux side didn’t have many options of what to do with him in the market.
Wolverhampton now certainly expect him to bounce back and have a positive season in Lisbon, so a better deal can be found next year. He’s tied to the English club with a contract until 2027, and is valued by Transfermarkt at €23m.
