Raul Jimenez is back where it all began. Three years after leaving Molineux, the Mexican striker has returned to Wolverhampton Wanderers ahead of their 2026/27 Championship campaign, and the reaction from supporters has been nothing short of extraordinary. For a club at a low ebb following relegation, Jimenez’s homecoming has done more than boost morale it has reignited a deep emotional connection between a fanbase and a player who came to symbolise everything Wolves once had.
A Signing That Instantly Transformed the Mood at Molineux
Jimenez’s return was confirmed after three seasons away, and the club’s emotional announcement video quickly went viral among supporters still coming to terms with relegation. For a generation of Wolves fans, Jimenez is simply the club’s number nine the striker who arrived just as the team were rediscovering their identity, helping guide them from promotion into European football, where they went toe-to-toe with some of the continent’s biggest names.
Shirt Sales and Social Media Numbers Tell the Real Story
The scale of the reaction has been remarkable. Since the signing was announced, Wolves’ ten most engaged posts across social media have all centred on Jimenez, including what is understood to be the club’s most engaged Instagram post on record. That enthusiasm has translated directly into merchandise sales, with Jimenez’s shirt reportedly outselling last season’s top-selling player shirt by more than 250 per cent in the club shop.
The impact has even been visible beyond Wolves’ own kit. During the pre-season friendly against Real Sociedad, supporters turned out in Mexico shirts both home and away versions and chanted Jimenez’s name despite his absence from the matchday squad. It is the kind of adulation usually reserved for club legends of a bygone era, with only Steve Bull offering a realistic historical comparison in terms of sheer popularity, albeit in a period before shirts carried player names.
From a Symbol of Decline to a Source of Celebration
In recent seasons, Jimenez’s name had regularly been sung by supporters, less out of hope he would return and more as a reminder of what the club had lost during a turbulent period under ownership group Fosun. That frustration often spilled into chants criticising the owners directly. But when Fulham visited Molineux for the final home game of last season, the tone shifted from lament to genuine celebration, as word began to spread that talks over a return were underway.
Jimenez later confirmed to a local reporter that discussions about a move back to Molineux had indeed taken place following that match, a revelation that lifted spirits among supporters still processing the pain of relegation.
Putting Jimenez’s Wolves Goal Record Into Context
The scale of the reaction makes more sense once Jimenez’s numbers are considered. He finished as Wolves’ top scorer as the club secured back-to-back top-seven Premier League finishes for the first time since the days of Stan Cullis. His tally of 27 league goals in the 2019/20 season remains the best return by any Wolves player in the top flight since ‘King’ John Richards in 1973, and only Bull playing in the third tier in 1989 has bettered it at any level.
Jimenez’s overall total of 40 Premier League goals is the most scored by any player for Wolves in the competition’s history, while his combined tally across all competitions stands at 57. That includes goals at Wembley in an FA Cup semi-final, and a European scoring record that remains unmatched at the club, featuring braces away to Torino and Slovan Bratislava, and a memorable strike in torrential rain during a trip to Braga that fans still talk about today.
The Injury That Deepened His Bond With Supporters
Jimenez’s Wolves story is also shaped by adversity. In November 2020, he suffered a fractured skull following a collision with David Luiz during a match away to Arsenal, played in an eerily quiet stadium during the pandemic. His recovery was long and difficult, both physically and mentally, and by his own admission he never fully rediscovered his pre-injury form during his first spell at the club he is yet to score a headed goal for Wolves since returning from the injury.
Rather than weakening his connection to the club, the ordeal appears to have strengthened it. Jimenez and his family have spoken openly about how much the support they received during that period meant to them, a bond that has clearly played a part in bringing him back to Molineux.
A Family Homecoming as Much as a Football Decision
This return is as much about family as football. Jimenez’s wife, Daniela, has developed a close relationship with Wolverhampton over the years, including efforts to embrace the club’s supporter traditions, and the couple even held the gender reveal for their second child on the Molineux pitch. His original exit from the club, after losing his place in the first team under Julen Lopetegui, was an emotional one Jimenez was seen in tears while saying goodbye as an unused substitute against Everton in May 2023, an ending that never quite felt complete for a player of his standing at the club.
Can Jimenez Fire Wolves Back Up the Table?
At 35, questions remain over how much Jimenez has left in the tank, but recent form offers encouragement. He scored three goals in four appearances at the World Cup and has looked sharp throughout pre-season, suggesting he remains close enough to his best to handle the physical demands of Championship football. Bookmakers currently list him as the favourite to finish as the division’s top scorer, and his record from the penalty spot the best conversion rate of any Premier League penalty taker in history makes him a strong bet to reach 20 goals for the season if he stays fit.
Whether Wolves can supply the service to make the most of him is a separate question. New head coach Cesar Peixoto is still working through uncertainty over the squad’s composition and the tactical identity he wants to build, meaning a promotion push is far from guaranteed. Even so, for a club and fanbase still processing relegation, Jimenez’s presence offers something success alone cannot always provide hope, and a direct link back to some of the best years in the club’s recent history.
Frequently Asked Questions: Raul Jimenez’s Wolves Return
Why did Raul Jimenez return to Wolves?
Jimenez signed for Wolves again after three years away, with talks over a return reportedly beginning around the club’s final home game of last season. The move is seen as both a football and family decision, given his and his wife’s long-standing connection to the city.
How many goals did Raul Jimenez score for Wolves?
Jimenez scored 40 Premier League goals for Wolves during his first spell the most by any player in the club’s Premier League history and 57 goals in all competitions.
What injury did Raul Jimenez suffer at Wolves?
In November 2020, Jimenez fractured his skull following a collision with David Luiz during a match away to Arsenal, and endured a long recovery both physically and mentally.
Can Raul Jimenez help Wolves win promotion?
He is the bookmakers’ favourite to be the Championship’s top scorer and looked sharp during pre-season and the World Cup, though it remains unclear whether Wolves’ new-look squad under Cesar Peixoto can provide the service needed to fully unlock his goal threat.
Final Word
Whatever happens on the pitch this season, Raul Jimenez’s return to Wolves has already achieved something significant restoring a sense of identity and hope to a club and fanbase in need of both. As the comparison with Steve Bull shows, legendary status at Molineux has never solely depended on trophies. Bull built his legend across a decade in the second tier without promotion; Jimenez now has the chance to write his own next chapter, back in the shirt where his Wolves story began.
