“Great decision” – Player backed for jumping sinking ship at Wolves

Jhon Arias has been praised for ditching Wolverhampton Wanderers in the January transfer window and returning to Brazil.

The praise comes from journalist Cesar Augusto Londoño today after Wolves were officially relegated from the Premier League on Monday.

Wolves woes for Arias

Jhon Arias joined Wolves in a €17m deal last summer from Fluminense after earning himself a growing reputation at the Brazilian club.

He arrived with a tally of 47 goals and 55 assist in 230 games for Fluminense during his time there but failed to get anywhere near that during his short stint at Molineux.

Instead, he would manage just two goals and one assist in 26 games for Wolves this season. Just one of those goals came in the Premier League, in the 3-0 win over West Ham at the beginning of January.

By the end of that month, he had return to Brazil in a €25m deal with Palmeiras. And Londoño is now attempting to rewrite his failure as a wise, long-term choice.

“John Arias headed to the Premier League full of hope, but he arrived at a struggling club that ultimately confirmed its relegation,” he wrote on X.

“It was difficult to perform. Fortunately, Palmeiras stepped in and rescued him, right before the World Cup, a pivotal moment. He has regained his form and will arrive in top shape. A great decision.”

Reality says differently

The reality is far different from what Londoño presents it as, though. While he praises the decision, the truth is that it was the only one available to Jhon Arias.

To say he flopped at Wolves would be an understatement. While they were struggling, he had the opportunity to establish himself as the star man, the key performer, when Wolves needed one most.

Instead, he simply faded into the background and made little to no impact. Now he’s gone back to Brazil, where he seems most comfortable. But Wolves fans are unlikely to accept any revisionism from the likes of Londoño now he’s performing again.