Arsenal privately bristled at the suggestion that one agent was exerting significant influence over their transfer policy, but on Saturday evening they face a team who are proving it might not actually be a bad thing.
Wolves stand within striking distance of Champions League qualification after four years working with super-agent Jorge Mendes. The Gunners are not cohorts with Kia Joorabchian to anything like the same level, but if a similar relationship is being explored, their opponents this weekend offer a clear indication it can be mutually beneficial.
There is comparable consternation at Wolves whenever it's suggested that super-agent Jorge Mendes -- who counts Cristiano Ronaldo among his star-studded clients -- is unduly prominent in the club's strategising, but their inexorable rise since he became involved is undeniable.