In the first of our reflective features which look back at five years of highs and lows for the Wolves men's first-team players before the 2023/24 season, we chart the career of Old Gold forward Pablo Sarabia.
2018/19
- Sevilla (52 apps | 22 goals)
Despite being aged just 26, Sarabia already had a wealth of experience behind him as he started the 2018/19 season with Sevilla – his final of three campaigns in Andalusia, having already played in La Liga over five seasons for Getafe following his early life coming through the ranks with Real Madrid. This season was the most prolific of his career to date, with Sevilla also competing in the UEFA Europa League and looking to lift the title for a record sixth time. From September to January, Sarabia’s side were riding high in the league, and challenging eventual champions Barcelona, which saw the forward net more than double figures in a league season for the first time ever. Despite Sarabia’s 12 goals in 33 outings, and eight in 13 Europa League games, Sevilla slipped away in the second half of the season and even dropped out of Europe in the quarter-final stages.
2019/20
- Paris Saint-Germain (40 apps | 14 goals)
Sarabia’s performances for Sevilla – which saw him score 44 times in 151 matches in white – earned the forward a move to Ligue 1 giants Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2019, as he tested himself outside of Spain for the first time. The 2019/20 season couldn’t have been much more successful for his side, with PSG claiming the French top flight title, as well as three domestic cups, with the only dent on the campaign seeing the team miss out on the Champions League after losing to Bayern Munich by the narrowest of margins in the final in Lisbon. However, Sarabia’s influence came more in the cups than the league, with the forward picking up 21 Ligue 1 appearances, and nine in his third Champions League jaunt, while scoring seven times in six Coupe de France matches on their way to the title.
2020/21
- Paris Saint-Germain (37 apps | 7 goals)
In his second season with PSG, Sarabia’s influence was increasing, and the forward was a key player under Thomas Tuchel as the campaign kicked off. Despite two losses to begin the season, Sarabia had a run of two goals and four assists during seven wins on the bounce. However, it was a stop and start season, as Sarabia’s year was thwarted by injuries. A hamstring problem halted his impressive run, before foot problems and a thigh injury meant he was unable to put together a run of outings. Despite these issues, Sarabia still scored six times in 27 Ligue 1 appearances as PSG missed out on the title to Lille, and also fell in the Champions League to Manchester City in the semis, with Sarabia not featuring in the knockout stages, but he did help his team to another Coupe de France trophy. That summer, Sarabia played for Spain in Euro 2020 as the side fell out in the semi-finals to eventual champions Italy.
2021/22
- Paris Saint-Germain (2 apps | 1 goal)
- Sporting CP (45 apps | 21 goals)
Having fallen out of favour following the arrival of Mauricio Pochettino as PSG manager, and despite scoring in the second game of the Ligue 1 season in a 4-2 win over Strasbourg, Sarabia headed to Lisbon to join Sporting CP on a season-long loan. The move sparked life into the forward’s career, as he experienced another impressive campaign – which included scoring 15 goals in 29 league games and finishing top of the team’s scoring charts, which still wasn’t enough for Sporting to win the Primeira Liga. However, Sporting didn’t experience league success, as they found themselves coming runners-up to Porto by six points. But Sarabia’s 21 goals in 45 games for the club did help the Lisbon-based outfit to a semi-final place in the Taca de Portugal, and they did win the Taca da Liga title, with Sarabia scoring the vital goal in a 2-1 comeback victory against Benfica. During the October of 2021, Sarabia was part of the Spain side which finished runners-up in the Nations League to France.
2022/23
- Paris Saint-Germain (19 apps | 0 goals)
- Wolves (13 apps | 1 goal)
Sarabia returned to PSG at the start of the 2022/23 season, with the team under the management of Christophe Galtier, although his time with the team was mainly as a substitute. He played 14 times during the opening months of the Ligue 1 campaign, for a combined total of 360 minutes. After once again representing his country at a major tournament, which saw the forward miss a crucial penalty in the 2022 World Cup last 16 shootout loss to Morocco, Sarabia made his latest club move, reuniting with former Real Madrid B and Spain boss Julen Lopetegui and joining Wolves in the Premier League during the January transfer window. He was a constant presence under his former head coach, as Wolves secured their top flight survival for a sixth successive campaign, with Sarabia scoring his only goal in Old Gold so far during a 1-1 draw with Fulham back in February.
This article originally featured in Wolves' official 2023/24 matchday programme. Last season's programmes are still available to purchase online through retailers Curtis Sports.
