Wolves could potentially be bidding farewell to Fernando Marcal this summer.

The Brazilian will be out of contract at the end of the season, and there have been reports of interest from another club.

Apparently Botafogo are poised to land the 33-year-old. Last month, Goal claimed the Brazilian outfit were in talks with the defender.

It is expected that he will move on, after a couple of seasons at Molineux.

Marcal has enjoyed a decent stint with the club, after joining from Lyon.

He’s had some injury problems, as was probably to be expected given his record in the past, but largely, Marcal has done a decent job in old gold.

He has had some really good games, and has been a good alternative to Rayan Ait-Nouri.

There has been little mention of a possible extension for the South American.

So it is reasonable to assume, at this point, that he will be leaving.

So Wolves may find themselves needing a replacement – and one wonders if Bruno Lage might find one in Hugo Bueno, was has been enjoying a great campaign with the U23s.

Bueno actually missed the first half of 2021/22 with injury, but has been looking really good for James Collins’ side of late.

And the Spaniard caught the eye again earlier this week, as he scored a brace in the 4-2 win over Newcastle at Molineux.

His first goal was well taken; he threw in a couple of stepovers before shifting the ball and firing in low across the goalkeeper.

And his second was a fairly simple tap-in after good work by Chem Campbell.

After the game, Collins lavished praise on Bueno, saying he ‘works harder than anyone I know’.

Bueno might well be another academy product ready to make the step up to the first-team.

Luke Cundle is now in the picture, Toti Gomes has had some chances and Chem Campbell is knocking at the door.

Lage will give out chances if he feels players are ready, and Bueno could potentially be the next one on the conveyor belt.

The starlet – described by The Athletic as ‘assured’ and ‘ambitious’, and suggested as now ‘too good’ for U23s football – was with the first-team in pre-season last summer. He is also a regular trainer with the first-team.

Lage will probably have seen him quite a lot, and it remains to be seen if he’ll get any chances before the current season ends.

But given the way he’s playing and the work ethic he has, there is certainly potential for him to become a replacement for Marcal should he depart.

Tom is a Public Relations (Sports) graduate who has built up experience in digital football writing and original content production, with words having reached millions online.