The president of the Premier League admits that he regrets selling a star player in Liverpool
The president of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Jeff Shi, admitted that he regrets selling Diogo Jota in Liverpool in September 2020
The president of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Jeff Shi, admitted that he regretted selling Diogo Jota in Liverpool. The Reds signed the Portuguese in an agreement of a value of up to 45 million pounds sterling in September 2020.
JOTA has since scored 65 goals in five seasons in Anfield, making 182 appearances and also recording 22 assists. Meanwhile, he also won the Premier League, the FA Cup and the League Cup during his stay with Liverpool.
However, the 28 -year -old was also prey to an injury throughout his career in Liverpool. Consequently, he struggled to nail a starting point under the Arne slit last season despite the start of the campaign as a central center at the first choice.
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Jota was sometimes linked to a Reds outing this summer. Wolves were even lower than possible suitors while the Premier League champions seek to strengthen their own attack rows before the transfer window is closed.
And the president of Wolves, Shi, admitted that the striker is the only player he ever wanted during his stay in Molinine.
“Over the past nine or eight years, I think we shouldn’t have sold Diogo Jota,” he admitted The Podcast “Business of Sport”. “At that time, I spoke with Nuno (Espirito Santo) and we can sell one of the players, perhaps Diogo, Adama (Traore), whatever.
“Then Nuno chose Adama to stay, because he thinks that maybe Adama was so important for the way he played. So we sold Diogo.
“Of course, at the time, Diogo was a little too injured, do you know?” So, he was injured for two months, then two months again or anything, then not playing so well in the last three, four months for us.
“But he went to Liverpool, he did so well, and I was very happy for him. He was a very good guy and an intelligent boy.
“But if you ask me if I can change the story, I would not have sold it.”
JOTA initially joined Wolves on loan from Atletico Madrid in the summer of 2017, scoring 18 goals from 46 appearances in all competitions to help them win the Premier League promotion.
Then signed permanently in a reported contract of 14 million euros, he won 26 goals from 85 appearances during the following two seasons before his move to Liverpool.
But while Shi could indicate Jota’s injury record as one of the reasons why the Wolves sold the striker, Jota rarely was rarely prey during his three years in Molinine and played in 111 of the 122 championship games during his stay at the club.
Suffering an injury to the hamstrings in December 2018, Jota was sidelined for three weeks and missed four Premier League games. He then made 20 appearances after his return, turning eight goals and six assists.
Meanwhile, he would suffer injury to the ankle and calf during the 2019/20 season, but would only rest four games respectively. Back in January 2020, he finished the campaign with seven goals and a decisive pass from his last 19 appearances of the season.
