Wolves comment: Raul Jimenez is gold on and off the pitch

Jimenez, 28, is in the form of his career, netting 17 times for Wolves after helping Mexico to the Gold Cup title in the summer.

Jimenez left Mexican side Club America for Atletico Madrid in 2014.

And after another switch to Portuguese giants Benfica and three years on the continent, he arrived at Molineux in 2018.

An initial loan was transformed into a permanent switch last summer.

But Wolves have more reasons than Jimenez’s impact in the final third to refuse any suitors this month – he is also key to their marketing strategy.

Their FA Cup opponents Manchester United are reportedly interested in taking the forward to Old Trafford.

The forward told the Express & Star he was happy in Wolverhampton due to the relaxed nature of the city.

The hot-shot enjoys the ability to walk his dog and venture around the city in peace.

Something he does not encounter in his native Mexico and did not enjoy on the continent.

And it is that global fandom that has aided one of Wolves’ strategic quests off the pitch.

Jimenez has fired Wolves to a seventh-placed finish in the Premier League and the last 32 of the Europa League this term, but it is his global appeal that has helped Wolves increase their overseas following.

Jimenez has 3.3million followers on Twitter and 1.9m Instagram followers.

That is six times the amount of his club’s official Twitter account and Wolves’ upturn in overseas traffic in 2019 is no coincidence.

Wolves offer a Spanish language website and social media platforms due to the increasing interest from central America and are believed to be planning their pre-season trip there.

That tour would be built around Jimenez’s appeal and proof that he is not just in their on the pitch plans but marketing too.

And in his New Year message, Wolves’ executive chairman Jeff Shi was pleased to inform supporters at Molineux of this increased growth.

He said: “The turn of a new year provides an opportunity to reflect on the previous 12 months, and I am pleased to report a significant growth of our fan base overseas as we strive to continue to reach new supporters outside of Wolverhampton and the United Kingdom.

“In 2018, 70 per cent of the audience on our YouTube channel was based in the UK, but in 2019 a massive 85 per cent of our views came from overseas, with the likes of Mexico, USA, Indonesia and India becoming key to our growth.

“In total we have gained 1.5 million new fans across our social media channels from all over the globe and have recorded over 100 million video views across YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

“Of course, Wolverhampton is our home, but we want to connect with supporters wherever they are in the world, and our social channels and increased video content is one of the best ways to do that.

“I am certain that 2020 will be another year of progress at the club, as the team and I work hard to maintain our current growth in all areas.