Ex-Man City star once signed for £16m 'in talks' to leave Wolves just six months after exciting move

Wolverhampton Wanderers are reportedly in ‘advanced discussions’ with Ajax over the possibility of terminating Carlos Forbs’ loan move.

The 20-year-old winger joined Wolves on a season-long loan deal over the summer in a deal which included an obligation for the Old Gold to make the deal permanent for £11m if certain performance relegated criteria was met.

The winger arrived to great fanfare and fans hoped he would be a direct successor to fellow countrymen Pedro Neto after his £54m move to Premier League rivals Chelsea.

However, it now appears increasingly likely that the young winger will return to Amsterdam ahead of schedule after a hugely frustrating period in the West Midlands, according to a report from The Athletic’s Steve Madeley.

Why Wolves made the move for Carlos Forbs

Forbs was born in the historic Portuguese town of Sintra, just outside the capital city of Lisbon. He enjoyed a season-long spell in the Sporting academy at the age of 10 before catching the eye of Manchester City’s scouts when he was just 11-years-old.

Forbs progressed quickly through all of City’s youth academies, becoming a regular provider of goals and assists with the under-18 and under-23 teams, as City won both national tournaments between 2020 and 2022. He gained experience alongside the likes of Cole Palmer, James Trafford, James McAtee, Jermemie Frimpong and Liam Delap.

After recording 13 goals and 19 assists in 24 appearances at Under-18 level, he won the Players Player of the Year award in 2021 and was tipped for the big time in years to come.

Forbs’ promise and his ability to play as both a winger and a full-back earned him a major £16m move to Ajax in 2023. He played 38 times in his debut season in a difficult campaign for Ajax and was able to contribute three goals and five assists before making the loan switch to Molineux.

Sporting director Matt Hobbs said at the time: "Carlos was one we wanted to do last summer, and then Ajax made a great offer for him, and he got a great move to a huge club, and now we get the opportunity to bring him in. So, maybe it's just a year delayed. He’s quick and wants to run in behind. He’s technically good, with the education he had, but he’s really direct, good one versus one, will look to stretch teams and with that pace will give us something we probably haven't got. He's ready to go. He's been playing."

Will Carlos Forbs leave Wolves this month?

Forbs has failed to make the grade at Wolves this season and has found first team opportunities hard to come by with just 10 appearances across all competitions and just 237 minutes of league action. His lack of game time means Wolves are unlikely to activate the £11m obligation and it is reported that his days are numbered at Molineux.

The Athletic reports that Ajax are hoping to take him back to Amsterdam to help solve their own transfer problems, with the club in need of extra options in wide positions. They have so far been unable to sign any of their transfer targets in that position and see a recall for Forbs, who made 21 appearances in the Dutch league last season, as a perfect solution.

However, the initial loan agreement signed over the summer did not include an in-built recall clause so the clubs are now in negotiations over how to bring Forbs’ stay at Molineux to an early end as the 3 February deadline approaches.