Santiago Bueno has joined Club America on loan for the season, with the Mexican side holding an option to make the move permanent in the future.
The Uruguayan has spent the past three seasons at Molineux and was voted Player of the Season by supporters in spring, but a change in head coach meant his gametime would be limited this term, opening the door for a move to Mexico.
Bueno, who has made 85 appearances in old gold, has played 34 times in his past two seasons, and last year added goals to his game, scoring four times, including in Premier League draws with Tottenham Hotspur and Sunderland.
Having returned late for pre-season due to the World Cup, Bueno has found opportunities hard to come by, with the 27-year-old being an unused substitute in four Championship games so far, meaning a move to Club America offers a new challenge.
Technical director Matt Jackson said: “This was our most difficult move of the whole window due to the circumstances. We were aware that there were open markets which may suit Santi after our deadline, and when we had too many players for the 25-man squad, it was unfortunately him who missed out.
“Santi’s an outstanding person and professional. He’s never a moment’s trouble and trains really hard, but teams coming out of the Premier League often have to manage squad size, and I think we’ve done pretty well, with Santi getting this opportunity.
“For his international career he needs to play regular football. It didn’t look like being the case with us, so you find the best available option, and he’s joining a big club in Mexico, in a competitive league which will suit him.
“We have Yerson to return and Nasser has been excellent. Krejci made a big impact when he was back in the team on Sunday and Toti has great experience. We saw what Saheed has to offer against Sheffield Wednesday, so we’ve got a good balance at centre back now.”
