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Report: Another star player could follow Neves and Patricio out of Wolves; will take pay cut to leave Molineux

fosun Wolverhampton Wanderers
A general view of the outside of Molineux before the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United at Molineux on Apri...
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Wolves star Joao Moutinho wants to leave the Premier League and is even willing to take a pay cut in order to seal his return to Portuguese giants FC Porto, as reported by A Bola.

it is just 11 months since Wolverhampton Wanderers were knocked out of the Europa League at the quarter-final stage by eventual champions Sevilla. 

Less than a year later, Nuno Espirito Santo has walked away from Molineux, following Diogo Jota and Matt Doherty out the door.

Before the transfer window slams shut on August 31, Ruben Neves, Adama Traore, Ruben Vinagre and Rui Patricio could be saying their goodbyes too, with Wolves undergoing a substantial and somewhat unexpected transition.

Moutinho, with his experience and enduring influence on and off the pitch, would perhaps be the biggest loss of them all.

Is Joao Moutinho heading out of Wolves?

The 34-year-old Portugal international started 28 Premier League games last season and finding a replacement with his passing range, set-piece threat and leadership skills will not be easy.

Photo by Slavko Midzor/Pixsell/MB Media/Getty Images

Either way, that is the task facing Wolves – and new manager Bruno Lage – as Moutinho edges closer to a second spell at the club he represented from 2010 to 2013, winning a trio of Primeira Liga titles along the way.

A Bola reports that Porto have identified Moutinho as an ideal addition to a midfield which may lose Marko Grujic and Sergio Oliveira this summer.

He is keen on a return to his old stomping ground and will take a cut on his current £66,000-a-week wages to make that happen.

Wolves have been linked with Joao Palhinha and Samu Costa recently, but both are more renowned for their tackling than their passing; destroyers rather than distributors. 

Perhaps a more natural replacement would be Barcelona’s technically-gifted Carles Alena, who has also been tipped to join Lage’s squad. 

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