The most heartfelt summer signing arrived sooner than anyone expected – Raúl Jiménez is back at Wolverhampton Wanderers. For the club’s faithful, this isn’t merely the homecoming of a former star; it is a chance to revisit a defining chapter of their own footballing lives. For an entire generation, Jiménez embodied the Wolves No 9, the striker who arrived just as the team was rediscovering its identity.
When he first joined, Wolves were on the rise, climbing from the Championship to the Premier League and then to European competition. He helped the club reach the Europa League, where they eventually fell to the continent’s elite. Now, after a period of decline that saw the side relegated, Jiménez returns at a time when the club is searching for a spark. His second arrival has already breathed new life into the organization.
The reaction to his signing was immediate and overwhelming. The club released an emotional video announcement that captured the imagination of fans and instantly lifted spirits after the disappointment of relegation.
The digital response was staggering: every one of Wolves’ ten most‑engaged social‑media posts since the news broke featured Jiménez, and the Instagram post announcing his return became the most liked in the club’s history. The buzz wasn’t limited to the online world. In the streets and in the club shop, Jiménez shirts have become a common sight.
Even before he stepped onto the pitch for a pre‑season friendly against Real Sociedad, supporters were chanting his name and wearing Mexican‑style tees, both home and away designs. Inside the official store, the Jiménez jersey is outselling the previous year’s top player by more than 250 percent – a figure that rivals the reverence once reserved for club legend Steve Bull, whose shirts never bore a name on the back. This fervor should come as no surprise. Jiménez’s name has been a regular chant in Wolves’ terraces for several seasons, not because of a hope that he would return, but because he came to symbolize what the club had lost.
Fans would sing his name while lamenting the team’s decline, sometimes pairing it with a protest chant aimed at owners Fosun: “You sold the team, now sell the club.” When Fulham visited Molineux in the final home game of the previous season, the atmosphere shifted to one of celebration, and shortly after, Jiménez disclosed to a local journalist that talks were underway for his return. The excitement surrounding that revelation helped sustain supporters through a bleak relegation period. To understand why his comeback matters, consider his statistical legacy. Jiménez scored 40 Premier League goals for Wolves, making him the club’s top scorer in the top‑flight era.
His 27‑goal haul in the 2019/20 season remains the highest league total for a Wolves player since the days of Steve Bull in the third tier in 1989, and the most in the Premier League since ‘King’ John Richards in 1973. Across all competitions he netted 57 times, including crucial goals at Wembley, an FA Cup semi‑final, and a string of memorable strikes in European fixtures – two against Crusaders in Northern Ireland, two against Pyunik Yerevan in Armenia, and home‑and‑away goals versus Torino, Slovan Bratislava and Braga. Those moments are still sung about by travelling fans and form an essential part of the club’s modern folklore. His career was dramatically interrupted in 2021 when a collision with David Luiz at Arsenal left him with a fractured skull.
The pandemic‑era silence that followed that incident was eerie, and the injury cast a long shadow over his subsequent performances. Though he never fully recaptured his pre‑injury form – he has yet to score a headed goal for Wolves – the adversity only deepened the bond between him and the supporters. Jiménez and his family have repeatedly expressed gratitude for the outpouring of love they received during his recovery, a sentiment that helped bring him back to Molineux.
The move is also a family affair. His partner Daniela, mother of their two children, has embraced the city, often joining fans in the chant “Wolves Ay We.” The couple even staged a gender reveal for their second child on the Molineux pitch, further cementing their connection to the club’s community. Their previous departure in May 2023, after falling out of the first‑team picture under Julen Lopetegui, felt unfinished – Jiménez left the stadium in tears after an Everton match, a poignant goodbye that many felt did not do justice to his contributions.
Now, the reunion offers a chance to rewrite that ending and reaffirm Jiménez’s place in the emotional architecture of Wolves. The absence of his former strike partner Diogo Jota adds another layer of poignancy, underscoring how much the club and its fans cherish this second chance. On the pitch, optimism is justified.
In the recent World Cup, Jiménez found the net three times in four games, demonstrating that he still possesses a lethal edge. He looks sharp enough to handle the rigors of the Championship, and bookmakers have already listed him as the favourite to finish as the league’s top scorer. His penalty record is flawless – he has converted every Premier League spot‑kick he has taken – suggesting he could comfortably reach the 20‑goal mark if he remains fit.
Whether the team can supply him with enough quality service remains uncertain. New manager César Peixoto is still shaping his squad and implementing a new playing style, so success is not guaranteed.
Yet the narrative mirrors that of Steve Bull, who spent a decade in the second tier, never achieving promotion but still becoming a club legend through goals and memories. Bull stayed; Jiménez has returned. In the end, Wolves have reclaimed their iconic No 9, and the emotional resonance of his homecoming may prove just as vital as any tactical plan in reigniting the club’s fortunes.