Wolves chairman Jeff Shi has described super-agent Jorge Mendes as “like a teacher” for his ability to bring talent into the club.
Wolves excelled in their first season back in the Premier League thanks to acquisitions such as Joao Moutinho and Raul Jiminez, who are managed – and whose moves to the club were brokered – by Mendes.
Speaking to CNBC, Shi said that Mendes has been influential in giving advice to the club about which players to sign.
“We knew Jorge four or five years ago, but to Wolves, he is more like a teacher because he is the centre of the whole industry,” the chairman said.
“Sometimes, like a student, you have to learn something quickly from the best in this industry. He can tell us a lot about what’s the best experience in a very good club, and what the good players like, and what they’re thinking, and what they need to do to help the coach.
“So that’s very important. And I see during the past three seasons he helped a lot.”
Mendes, whose Gestifute agency looks after a number of the world’s top footballers, has been working closely with Wolves since Fosun bought the club from Steve Morgan in 2016.
OPINION
Mendes really has given Wolves a huge boost, and they certainly wouldn’t be where they are now without him. To finish seventh and be the best-placed team behind the runaway top six in the Premier League is some achievement is some achievement, but to do it at the first time of asking is incredible. And that is largely down to Mendes. The agent’s company – Gestifute – began to partner with Wolves when Shi-0wned Fosun took Wolves over in 2016 and, since then, it has been a massive success story, but especially this season. Moutinho has been a rock in midfield while up top, Diogo Jota and Raul Jiminez have been banging in the goals and it’s wonderful to see a newly-promoted team doing so well. Yes, the club have spent a lot of money and obviously have a very good connection with one of the world’s best agents, but nevertheless you cannot knock the project that is being built at Wolves.