Wolverhampton Wanderers have parted ways with Raul Jimenez, who has departed Molineux to join Fulham this summer.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have recently sold Raul Jimenez to Fulham and transfer insider Dean Jones thinks that the 32-year-old has been an ‘unbelievable player in their history’ at Molineux.
How did Raul Jimenez fare in his time at Wolverhampton Wanderers?
As per The Guardian, Jimenez joined Wolves for a then-record fee of £30 million in 2019 from Benfica following an initial loan spell at Molineux and went on to become an icon at the West Midlands-based outfit.
In his time at the Old Gold, the 32-year-old hit the back of the net on 57 occasions and also registered 24 assists in 166 appearances for Wolves across all competitions, as per Transfermarkt.
Mexico international Jimenez suffered a horrendous skull fracture in 2020 in a match against Arsenal following an accidental clash with David Luiz and was lucky to survive, according to his doctors, as per Sky Sports.
Jimenez spoke about his ordeal in August 2021, stating: “Since the first moment, the surgeons and doctors told me what happened and the risks.” He then added: “Sometimes it’s not what you want to hear but it’s their job. They told me it was a miracle to be here. The bone had broken and there was a little bit of bleeding inside my brain. That’s why the surgery had to be quick and it was a really good job from the doctors.”
Nevertheless, the veteran forward made a miraculous recovery and has since resumed his football career. Fulham officially announced Jimenez earlier this week and have reportedly forked out around £5 million to entice him to Craven Cottage, BBC Sport understands.
Aleksandr Mitrovic could be set to leave Fulham amid interest from Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal and Jimenez has been drafted in as a potential replacement.
Speaking to Football FanCast, transfer insider Jones thinks that Wolves will now need to move on from Jimenez despite his ‘unbelievable’ exploits at the club in order to try and secure an alternative to bolster their options in the final third.
Jones told FFC: “The departure of Jimenez feels pretty significant; just an unbelievable player in their history that was dealt a cruel twist of fate and now is looking for a new home and environment that can give him new life. From a Wolves point of view though, it’s all about moving forward again and rebuilding and replacing.”
Who could replace Raul Jimenez at Wolverhampton Wanderers?
Jimenez has left big boots to fill at Wolves; however, he did only manage three goals during the entirety of last campaign, indicating that some fresh blood in the striker position may not be a bad thing at Molineux moving forward.
According to journalist Alan Nixon’s Patreon, Southampton forward Che Adams has emerged as a target to succeed the Mexico international and could be available for £10 million.
Portuguese publication Record have reported that Sporting Clube de Portugal forward Youssef Chermiti is on the Old Gold’s radar and it is thought that €20 million could be enough to land the 19-year-old star.
Taking to Twitter X, journalist Damian Iribarren has claimed that Club Atletico Tigre loanee Marco Retegui is subject to an offer from Wolves worth $18 million from Wolves amid competition from Genoa to land the Italy international.
