The Athletic’s Wolves reporter Tim Spiers has claimed that defender Luke Matheson could be sent back out on loan during the summer transfer window.
The 17-year-old joined Wolves from Rochdale back on January transfer window deadline day for a reported £1million, before immediately returning to the League One side on loan for the remainder of the season,
In total, Matheson has 36 senior appearances in all competitions for Rochdale, scoring twice, including in an EFL Cup tie with Manchester United at Old Trafford that ‘Dale eventually lost on penalties.
Now it seems as though the teenager could be on the move again this summer, with Spiers suggesting that this season may come too soon to be Matheson’s first taste of top-flight football.
Speaking about the full-back’s future on The Athletic’s The Molineux View Podcast, Spiers said: “[We’ve] not seen much of him, but obviously there’s been articles written on him by myself and others about what a fantastic young man he is.
“So, let’s see – unless he wows Nuno [Espirito Santo] in pre-season – he’s one that will suffer from [a] lack of [a] proper pre-season because he wants three/four weeks on the training ground and to go to China under Nuno’s watchful eye.
“He’s not going to get that, unfortunately. So, I think a high-end League One loan or a Championship loan is his immediate future.”
While it seems this has yet to be officially confirmed by the club, you do feel it would be a sensible approach for Wolves to take with regards to Matheson’s short-term future.
Having not even tested himself at Championship level before, let alone at any sort of top-flight standard, you feel as though this would be a big step up for Matheson to make this season, especially with Nuno’s side expected to challenge for some form of European qualification again this season.
As a result, a loan move this season could certainly be beneficial for Matheson in terms of helping him to improve as a player and develop his confidence, which would surely then make him a more useful for Wolves when he makes his return to Molineux at the end of that campaign away.
