Wolverhampton Wanderers have reached an agreement to re-sign striker Raul Jimenez on a free transfer from Fulham. The deal is for two years, with an option for an additional year at Molineux.
Jimenez, who is currently on international duty with World Cup co-hosts Mexico, has completed his medical. Mexico is scheduled to begin the tournament against South Africa on Thursday.
The striker was among a group of players listed by Fulham on Monday as set to depart the Premier League club when his contract concludes at the end of June. He will join former England full-back Kieran Trippier, who also signed a two-year deal after leaving Newcastle, as Wolves‘ second free signing of the summer.
Return to Molineux
Jimenez previously played for Wolves between 2018 and 2023, following a move from Benfica. During his initial spell, he scored 57 goals for the club. His return offers him the opportunity to add to these figures.
Before suffering a fractured skull while playing for Wolves against Arsenal in 2020, Jimenez was considered a prolific forward in the English top flight. He holds the record as Mexico‘s highest-scoring Premier League footballer, with 68 goals in 233 appearances in the competition.
He joined Fulham from Wolverhampton Wanderers in July 2023 in a deal reportedly worth around £5 million plus add-ons, signing a two-year contract with an option for a further 12 months. He made 115 appearances for Fulham, scoring 31 times.
Club Rebuilding Efforts
Wolves are in a rebuilding phase after finishing at the bottom of the Premier League last season. This means the club will compete in the second tier for the first time since the 2017-18 season.
Meanwhile, Fulham have confirmed that Jimenez will leave the club when his contract expires this summer. He is departing alongside head coach Marco Silva, whose departure was confirmed last week. Silva has agreed to succeed Jose Mourinho at Benfica, with Mourinho having signed a contract to become Real Madrid‘s new head coach.
Other players also leaving Fulham this summer include goalkeeper Steven Benda, who spent the latter half of the season on loan at Feyenoord, and several academy players. The playing contract of Charlie Robinson is also expiring this summer, though he will remain at the club to begin a coaching career following his retirement due to injuries.
Harry Wilson, however, has been offered a new deal by Fulham. Wilson started 32 matches for Silva‘s side in a recent campaign, a significant increase from his 12 league starts in the previous campaign. He recorded 10 goals and seven assists in 36 appearances, marking his highest output of goal contributions in the top flight since joining from Liverpool in the summer of 2021, and was named the club’s player of the season.
Following his stoppage-time winner against Brighton & Hove Albion in January, which was his third goal in four games, Silva had expressed the club’s desire to retain Wilson beyond his contract expiration. Leeds United had a proposed deadline day move for Wilson fall through last September.
Jimenez’s contract with Fulham is set to expire at the end of June.
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Source: bbc.co.uk
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