Juan Agudelo doesn't get contract offer from Wolves, still without a club

Juan Agudelo will not be signing with Wolverhampton. The club has declined to offer him a contract and Agudelo will go back to looking for a team.

Agudelo was on trial at Wolves, hoping to earn a contract offer, but it didn't come.

"We felt that match fitness was the key for Juan," Wolves manager Kenny Jackett said. "To get him up to Championship standard he would need to play games and it is hard to go from nothing straight into the Championship.

"That can be tough, and while the odd player does it most people don’t – you need a run of games and need to build up. So it was nothing to do with his ability levels, just that he hasn’t played."

This is the latest in a string of disappointing moves for Agudelo. The 21-year-old was once one of the United States' brightest prospects, but he joined Stoke City on January 1 and, unable to get a work permit, couldn't play for them. Then he went to FC Utrecht on loan, where was reasonably successful, but after failing to get a work permit again this summer, Stoke cut ties with him. Ever since, he has been in search of a new club and, as we head into late October, it has been more than five months since he last played a match.

And therein lies the problem: Agudelo needs to find a club to get fit, but some clubs, like Wolves, will pass on him because he's not fit. He spent some time training with Orlando City this summer, but that only goes so far. He needs matches.

There have been rumblings that several clubs were interested in Agudelo, from Sporting Lisbon, to a handful in the Eredivisie and Bundesliga. How legitimate that interest was is unclear. There have also been rumblings that Agudelo wants to stay in England.

Whatever the case, Agudelo needs a club and he needs to play. Whether that is in England, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands or even back in MLS, he can't afford to miss much longer or, by the time he comes back, he'll have been out for too long to find his peak form again. Whether Agudelo is being picky, the offers aren't there or whatever the reasoning, the striker needs a club and he needs it now.