Left in 2015, now goalless in Greece: Wolves binned "explosive" 34 y/o at perfect time - opinion

Bakary Sako was once a devastating winger in Wolves‘ side but his career since leaving Molineux suggests that the Old Gold got rid of the Malian at the perfect time.

Did Wolves get rid of Bakary Sako at the perfect time?

Wolves signed Sako back in 2012, with the powerful wide man arriving in a £3m deal from St Etienne, where he managed 17 goals and 15 assists in 128 appearances, including when he returned to France for the 2021/22 campaign.

Sako was an instant hit at Molineux as despite their relegation to League One, he would fire in a superb nine goals and 11 assists in just 37 Championship appearances.

The former Mali international certainly made an impression on ex-teammate Kevin Foley, who praised the winger in an interview with the Express and Star.

Foley said: “He’s brilliant. He can go by the full-backs with ease at times and I personally wouldn’t like to play against him. He’s explosive and he’s got a great shot on him.

“He’s very powerful and it’s good to have players like that at this level. He can open up gaps for other players.”

He was unsurprisingly fundamental to their promotion back to the second tier the following season, registering a phenomenal 12 goals and 15 assists in the third tier.

Sako showed no signs of slowing down upon his return to Championship football, managing another 15 goals and ten assists in the 2014/15 campaign, but it wasn’t enough for the Old Gold, as they finished outside of the playoffs on goal difference.

Wolves were understandably keen to tie Sako down to a new deal at Molineux but he reportedly demanded as much as £80k-per-week, which was unthinkable for the Midlands club before their takeover by Fosun International in 2016.

Where is Bakary Sako now?

After failing to sign a new deal at Molineux, Sako would complete a free transfer to Crystal Palace but he failed to rediscover the form he showed with the Old Gold, managing just eight goals and one assist in 54 appearances for the Eagles.

A disappointing loan spell with West Brom in the 2018/19 season saw him feature just six times, scoring once, with the Malian perhaps regretting his decision to leave Molineux given his career since then.

The 34-year-old has since played for his old club Saint Etienne and Pafos FC in Cyprus, where he registered a combined two goals in 14 appearances, before his move to Greece last summer, as he joined APO Levadiakos.

His goalscoring trend has sadly continued there, as he finds himself without a goal contribution in his first six appearances for his new side.

While Sako will be fondly remembered by Wolves fans for his performances on the pitch, he could have made himself a legend at Molineux if he hadn’t asked for an excessive wage back in 2015, although his displays since then suggest that he was certainly not worth that sort of money. Indeed, he was let go at the perfect time.

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