Wolverhampton Wanderers head coach Matt Hobbs has praised Daniel Podence for being 'happy to protect the club' in faciliating a loan switch to Olympiacos.
Throughout the summer transfer window, Podence has not been involved with the first team courtesy of the likelihood of a transfer elsewhere.
With a year left on his contract and the winger being willing to take on a new challenge, the Portugal international trained away from the senior group.
However, once the transfer window shut for many of European football's top leagues, the 27-year-old's options became limited with reports indicating that a switch to the Middle East was the most likely outcome.
Instead, a deal has materialised for Podence to return to Olympiacos, who he represented before making the switch to Molineux in January 2020.
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Olympiacos were unable to meet Wolves' demands for a permanent transfer, and it took a compromise on Podence's part to facilitate a second stint - this time on loan - with the Greek giants.
In order to retain Wolves' chances of generating a fee in the future, Podence has agreed to pen a one-year contract extension, despite the strong possibility of never representing the West Midlands outfit next season.
At the same time as announcing Podence's move to the Karaiskakis Stadium, Hobbs revealed the conversations and developments that had taken place with Podence behind the scenes.
Speaking to the club's official website, Hobbs said: "It's no secret that Daniel was keen to look at new options this summer, but nothing came which suited us or Daniel, but this is an opportunity for him to go back where he was and play European football, and he was great in understanding that for us to allow it, he had to sign a contract.
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"There's still a possibility Daniel comes back and plays for Wolves again, but it was the right time to let him go and play this season. He can either come back after the season or we'll be negotiating next summer with a player with a longer contract.
"He was respectful and didn't push back – he was happy to protect the club. We'll stay in touch this season, and I want him to do well, to either come back and play for us in good form or maximise his value.
"This has been on the cards since January, when Julen [Lopetegui] was here, that he could leave in the summer, but he wasn't going to leave for anyone. He had offers from the Premier League, but he didn't want to go, but with this opportunity European football was a big pull. It works for all parties. They get a good player on loan and we protect ourselves with no costs from this year. It was a palatable situation for all parties."
Having contributed 16 goals and nine assists from his 105 appearances for Wolves, Podence returns to a club where he previously chipped in with 13 goals and 14 assists from just 68 matches.
Darren Plant
