Wolves managing director Laurie Dalrymple insists super-agent Jorge Mendes is “not in charge” of the club’s recruitment and is raking in more money from Manchester United every day than he would in years from the Midlands outfit.
Mendes is one of the most influential football agents in the world, representing a host of world-class figures including Cristiano Ronaldo and Jose Mourninho, but the Portuguese also holds ties to the Championship club.
Following a takeover of the club by Chinese conglomerate Fosun in July 2016, Mendes was hired as a scout for the club, but questions have since been raised over his level of power and influence at Molineux.
Paul Lambert, who was dismissed from his role as manager on Tuesday, had raised frustrations over his own lack of influence in the transfer market, insisting the club’s owners had handed Mendes more control over the club’s transfers.
But Wolves chief Dalrymple insists that Mendes has no formal role at the club, and that rules do not allow for him to be in charge of recruitment.
He told the Times: “Jorge Mendes is not in charge of the recruitment of this club. He can’t be. It’s not within the rules and he can’t physically be in charge of that.
“However, is he a known associate of the owners? Yes he is. He’s a friend and he has been for some time. There’s never been any secret about that.
“He’s probably made more money in Manchester in the last couple of days than he will from Wolves in the next year or two.”
Former Porto chief Nuno Espirito Santo was appointed as Lambert’s successor on Wednesday, and it will be he, not Mendes, who has the final say on Wolves’ transfer dealings.
Nuno will likely spend the first few weeks of his new job assessing the current first-team squad, but he will inevitably look to bring in his own players this summer.
But changes were to be expected after Wolves struggled in the Championship last season, where they finished 15th in the table and seven points clear of relegation.