Hugo Bueno has signed a new long-term contract with Wolves, a year on from his breakthrough into the first-team.
The Spaniard, who has agreed terms until 2028, broke into the senior set-up last autumn when he debuted against Nottingham Forest and has since made a further 30 appearances, solidifying his place as an established member of the group.
A full debut at Selhurst Park soon after showed what the 21-year-old was about, as he provided an assist for Wolves’ opening goal, before impressing with his defensive work at left-back.
Those opportunities came in a run of 15 first-team appearances in 16 Premier League games, under the stewardship of Steve Davis and James Collins initially, and later Julen Lopetegui, as the Old Gold turned their season around.
Despite falling out of the 11 due to injury in the spring, the Spanish left-back returned to help retain the club’s top flight status, starting in a 2-0 Molineux success over Palace, as survival was all but secured.
Competing with Rayan Ait-Nouri, Bueno appeared seven times during the opening stages of this season, but an injury sidelined him for the six games prior to Saturday’s dramatic win over Tottenham Hotspur, where he returned as an unused substitute.
In the season he also made his Spain under-21 debut, in a 1-0 win over Scotland, Bueno has now signed a new five-year deal with the option of a further 12 months.
Progressing from the youth set-up alongside Joe Hodge, and before Nathan Fraser, the trio’s work has represented a successful 12 months for the club’s youth system.
Sporting director Matt Hobbs said: “Hugo’s one of the huge success stories of the club. Bringing him in from a grassroots team in Spain when he was just 16, and he’s now 21, playing in the Premier League and being a regular Premier League player. It’s testament to everyone involved.
“Since Palace, he’s got more comfortable and had a Spanish under-21 call up which was thoroughly deserved. The whole journey, there’s been so many people who have played their part, but the one constant has been how good a professional Hugo has been throughout it all.
“We are blessed in that area of the pitch. We’ve got two young, exciting left-backs, who are slightly different, but both have huge talent. They’re competing against each other and they’re really close as well, so it’s a healthy competition, but we will see the benefits of that from both of their performances.”
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
