Wolves made millions from Nuno Santo transfer - He excelled at Molineux | OneFootball

Diogo Jota's career has only gone one way since joining Wolves in the Championship

Wolves' Portuguese revolution was one story which dominated the Championship back in 2017/18.

After spending several years in the abyss, which included back-to-back relegations from the Premier League into League One between 2012 and 2014, the club looked to end a lengthy spell away from the top flight with the high-profile appointment of Nuno Espírito Santo.

Having previously managed Rio Ave, Valencia and FC Porto, where he had endured mixed fortunes, it was still a massive statement of intent by Fosun to bring the Portuguese to Molineux, and he was immediately backed in the transfer market, with several high-profile additions, with the standouts including his former captain, Ruben Neves for a reported £15m fee, loan additions such as Diogo Jota, Willy Boly and Leo Bonatini and experienced performers such as John Ruddy, Ryan Bennett and Barry Douglas.

And, in a season which featured so many heavyweight clubs on paper, the limelight was immediately focused on developments in the West Midlands, and Jota was one of those who would excel during his first season in English football and beyond.

Despite never playing for Atlético Madrid, Jota impressed at the Estádio do Dragão under Nuno in 2016/17, scoring nine times and accumulating seven assists in 38 appearances across all competitions.

Although the Wanderers boss was more aware than most about his current and future potential, a loan move with an option-to-buy was still a major coup for the then-Championship side.

The energetic attacker was a regular feature on the left wing throughout the season, and Wolves reaped the benefits of acquiring such a talent, as he registered 16 goal contributions by the turn of the year.

With just days of the 2018 winter transfer window remaining, it was then confirmed by the runaway leaders that Jota's loan deal would turn permanent at the end of the campaign, after a €14m buyout clause was triggered.

The Porto-born man then went on to score six more times as the Old Gold and Black secured a second Championship title in nine years, getting the chance to earn his stripes as a Premier League player.

Diogo Jota has excelled on the Premier League and European stage

Since Wolves' promotion back to the top flight, Jota has come on leaps and bounds, firstly scoring 10 goals in all competitions across the 2018/19 season as Nuno's men recorded a seventh-place finish and reached the FA Cup semi-final, with the attacker scoring a memorable hat-trick against Leicester City in January 2019 as well as netting infront of the South Bank against Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-final.

His final season at Molineux also saw a first cap for Portugal in a 6-0 win over Lithuania, and the winger was also instrumental in Wolves' eventual run to the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals in the campaign which was temporarily halted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Jota would score two hat-tricks on the European stage against Besiktas and Espanyol to go with his two strikes in the qualifying rounds, as well as seven Premier League goals.

However, his final appearance for the Black Country side would come in the last-eight defeat to Sevilla in Duisburg, as he would join Liverpool for a reported £45m.

After making his debut for the Reds in an EFL Cup rout over Lincoln City, Jota started his Anfield career in fine form, scoring on his home debut against Arsenal, just eight minutes after replacing Sadio Mané.

The versatile frontman then went on to score four goals in the following eight Premier League games, before being absent for 14 games with a knee issue.

He would then score on his return to Molineux in March 2021, before hitting a brace against the Gunners and scoring his final goal of the season in a 4-2 success against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

In the off-season, Jota featured in all four of Portugal's encounters at UEFA Euro 2020, with his best performance coming in the 4-2 defeat to Germany, earning a goal and an assist in Munich.

During Liverpool's quadruple-chasing season of 2021/22, the Paços de Ferreira academy graduate would score 21 times in 55 appearances across all competitions, with his most iconic performance being a two-goal haul at the Emirates Stadium as Jürgen Klopp's team reached the EFL Cup Final, where they would defeat Chelsea on penalties, before the same outcome occured in the FA Cup Final.

After running Manchester City close for a second-ever Premier League title and losing to Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final, Jota's efforts were rewarded with a fresh long-term contract. However, weeks after providing a hat-trick of assists for Mohamed Salah against Rangers at Ibrox, he would suffer an injury which kept him out of Portugal's 2022 FIFA World Cup squad.

However, his return to fitness was marked in fine fashion, netting his first goals in a year with a double against Leeds United, before scoring a dramatic late winner against Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield.

The forward would then endure mixed fortunes in Klopp's final season, getting sent off against Tottenham Hotspur, before taking until October to score his first goal of the season against Union Saint-Gilloise in L4.

In between two further injury knocks, Jota formed a strong partnership with Darwin Núñez in Salah's absence last Spring, with the seasoned top flight performer accumulating eight goals in seven games, before scoring his last goal of the campaign against Fulham in a 3-1 success.

Jota then netted the first goal of Arne Slot's era on Merseyside against Ipswich Town in August before marking his 100th start for the club with the winner against Crystal Palace two months later, as he continues to have a strong influence on proceedings at Anfield.

Now that the Reds are out of the FA Cup, the former Wanderer will hope to fire them to Premier League, EFL Cup and UEFA Champions League glory in the Dutchman's first season in charge, which they have every chance of doing so.

Despite the bulk of his goal contributions in English football coming for Liverpool, the decision to trigger the option-to-buy clause for such a creative threat is one decision those in the Molineux boardroom will never regret.