Wolves: £15m star is ‘not the same player he was’ at Molineux

Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Raul Jimenez is ‘just not the same player he was’ prior to his major injury, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The Mexico international has had an unfortunate fall from grace in recent years despite making a remarkable comeback to elite-level football after fracturing his skull.

Jimenez showcased his top-class quality throughout 2018/19, registering 17 goals and eight assists in 44 appearances across all competitions, firing Wolves to a seventh-placed finish and the FA Cup semi-finals.

And things got even better for the prolific forward the following campaign after he bagged 27 strikes and laid on a further 10 assists in 55 outings, but a fractured skull in November 2020 halted his impressive progress.

Last season, Jimenez was Wolves’ joint-top goalscorer in all competitions despite only finding the back of the net on six occasions, sparking speculation over his long-term future.

Alex Crook of talkSPORT claimed back in May that the Midlands outfit were ‘open to offers’ for the 6 foot 3 ace after concluding that he needed a ‘change of scenery’ to rediscover his best form.

Crook stated that Wolves were willing to sanction Jimenez’s sale for as little as £15 million, but he ended up staying put at Molineux.

Jimenez regained his place as Wolves’ starting striker throughout 2021/22 but was unable to replicate the same form that made him such a fan’s favourite prior to his fitness setback.

And Jones has even questioned whether he has the ‘same drive’ as he once did in previous years.

In an interview with GiveMeSport, he said: “Raul Jimenez is just not the same player he was. And he’s tried to give him opportunities, and that same drive doesn’t even seem to be there as it once was for him.”

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