Rob Edwards has expressed his desire for Pedro Lima to compete for a place in Wolverhampton Wanderers' squad next season as the team prepares for life in the Championship. The 19-year-old Brazilian, who joined Wolves two years ago, has made only 12 senior appearances and spent the first half of this season on loan at Porto, despite interest from Championship and League One clubs.
Lima's Surprise Start and Future Role
Edwards handed Lima his first Premier League start in over a year against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend. The head coach has now revealed his intention for the young defender to be involved next season. "We certainly want him involved and we want competition for him," Edwards said. "I can't sit here in front of you and say he's going to have the shirt and that's it, so there'll be competition there. But he's certainly someone we like and expect him fully to be competing for a position, no doubt."
Edwards noted Lima's physical development, stating, "He's looking stronger and more powerful." He added, "We do see a future for Pedro, that was why we brought him back in the first place anyway. He's been training well and improving. He's been getting a lot of individual work, so we're really hopeful he can get more minutes as the season closes because he's a young player, but we do have high hopes for him as well. It will give him good experience."
Sam Johnstone's Situation
Sam Johnstone is out for the season with a shoulder injury, and despite his Championship experience, he is likely to move on. When asked if Johnstone is a player he would like to keep, Edwards remained coy. "It's hard to pick any one individual. There's so many in the group that we could lean on, that could really help, and I think over the last few months we've seen some good performances. So there is that side to it, but I think we all recognise and understand as well that there will be a need for change. So time will probably tell on all of that."
Transfer Interest Expected
Edwards anticipates interest in several players, with Atletico Madrid pushing to sign Joao Gomes. "I'd be very surprised if there wasn't interest," he said. "Some of the lads have been performing very well with the situation that we're in. I think that's inevitable, nothing would surprise me, but they've not brought anything to me on that at the moment."
Edwards recently confirmed he already knows which current Wolves players he wants to keep for next season, while many are expected to leave in the summer.
