By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Wolverhampton Wanderers head coach Vitor Pereira has hinted at the possibility of pairing summer signing Tolu Arokodare with forward Strand Larsen as he searches for solutions to the club’s poor run of form in the Premier League.
Speaking ahead of Wolves’ crucial clash against Brighton & Hove Albion at Molineux on Sunday, Pereira acknowledged the potential of the duo to form a potent attacking partnership—once both are fully fit.
“I believe we can play with both,” Pereira said.
“But at the moment, Larsen is struggling with injury. He’s not the player you’re used to seeing—pressing, fighting. He’s in pain and trying to help the team, but he’s not at his best level.”
The Portuguese tactician also addressed Arokodare’s lack of match fitness following an unsettled pre-season, during which the striker’s future at his former club remained uncertain.
“Tolu’s pre-season was without games because he was in a situation where he could leave or stay—it was not clear,” Pereira explained.
“When he joined us, he wasn’t ready to start, but we needed him. He gave his best, even scored a beautiful goal against Everton, but he’s still not in top shape.”
Sunday’s fixture, which comes just before the international break, is seen as a crucial opportunity for Wolves and Arokodare to reignite their season and end their winless streak in the league.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
