Wolves moving windows have been a constant source of sadness in recent years.
But while a spending spree is still expected next month, the arrival of new boss Vitor Pereira has made the next era of dealing even harder to predict.
The notable exception to the discreet window style was January 2023, when Matheus Cunha, Craig Dawson, Mario Lemina, Joao Gomes and Pablo Sarabia all reached a month of significant spending that helped Julen Lopetegui turn the club’s season around. A story of frustration and adjustments, of course.
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This January cannot be the same. Following the sacking of Gary O’Neil and the appointment of Pereira, Wolves have to get it right — their Premier League future is on the line.
Innermost
Who is Vitor Pereira? Explosive, intense and desperate for one in the Premier League
There is one overriding priority in the January window: stemming the alarming flow of goals flying past Wolves’ goalkeepers. And that means centre-backs.
The sale of Maximilian Kilman to West Ham in the summer, followed by Yerson Mosquera’s season-ending injury, left Wolves with just three senior centre-backs. This is a challenge for a team that has started again at 3 in recent weeks.
Craig Dawson’s form has been combined: from a masterful display against Erling Haaland to a horror display at Everton. Toti’s performances have declined a lot in the past and head coach O’Neil had reservations about Santiago Bueno’s suitability for the Premier League.
So next month, one proven, solid centre-half with the ability to step straight into the starting XI and improve Wolves in open play and at set pieces is an absolute minimum. In reality, they probably need two. If that means cashing in on players in other areas of the team to raise funds, so be it, because unless they cut the rate at which they concede goals, they have next to no chance of avoiding relegation.
Elsewhere, a left-back would be useful as TOTI (Centre-Back) and Rayan Ait-Nouri (left-back) are more suitable elsewhere. A dynamic right winger would be an advantage.
But, in reality, the opportunity is to rebuild the core of the defense of the Wolves.
Nico Elvedi, the Swiss foreign defense that lately plays at Borussia Mönchengladbach, is a recurring objective that could be again on the agenda. However, the termination clause that would have made it a very cheap incorporation has already expired.
Most of its other central defensive objectives have moved to another place. The recruitment team has been executed with new probabilities since closed the last window without new faces to the Defense Center and the arrival of Pereira, its agent Jorge Mendes, a guy near the wolves, will undoubtedly have players at the head of the head of the head of Molineux. Training
After briefly recovering his position at the beginning XI, the form of José Sa withdrew and was repositioned in the purpose through the firm of Sam Johnstone, which means that the wolves would leave SA all the movement that seemed planned for this summer .
Unless Pereira is obviously convinced that his Portuguese compatriot will be his number 1.
There is interest from the clubs in Saudi Arabia, however, no official ever arrived. The wolves would possibly want to lower his asking price.
Hwang Hee-chan is also potentially a player to see. Despite his delight and his record record of the Premier League, players outside the doors at the beginning of the XI, the South Korean is comfortably the one with the highest value.
So if the wolves want to generate budget to fix this screeching defense, they may want to offer.
It’s unlikely, however, Goncalo Groedes is an option out of the gates if the wolves need to lose wages for newcomers.
The Portuguese forward defied expectations by staying at Molineux in the summer and has made some eye-catching cameos from the bench. However, he has not made an impact from the start and his second shot at Wolves still appears likely to be a short-term arrangement.
A lot of painting has been done to make the conceivable central defenders and discussions with Pereira and Mendes will inevitably have presented imaginable movement targets, but nothing has been agreed yet.
The groundwork will be laid by sporting director Matt Hobbs, head of scouting Ben Wrigglesworth and their recruitment team. The first-team coaching staff will have a big say in narrowing the search down to preferred options.
In the end, the executive chairman, Jeff Shi, will have the final say on the transactions that are made, respecting the monetary parameters established through the owners of Fosun. Although the Wolves worked hard to rely on Mendes’ gestation organization, they are used to turning to the “super agent” in times of crisis and now that he has one of his consumers back in front of the manager, he is the most likely to be a key player next month.
Deeper
Why Wolves sacked Gary O’Neil and turned to Jorge Mendes again
Unlike 18 months ago, when a massive sale of talent was mandatory to avoid imaginable sanctions, wolves now have no primary considerations.
Fosun showed two years ago, when it appointed Julen Lopetegui at a time of problems in the primaries, that it was willing to spend a lot on players to be relegated and shield the price of its investment. But the fact that they are not attracting all the high-level players The managers who followed O’Neil’s firing suggest that they are not willing to do it again.
They have been known to replace the course even a movement window, but at the moment it turns out that the self-sufficiency policy is here to stay, so the entire budget will want to be generated.
Flee the defense to keep the Wolves in the Premier League. Most signings would be an advantage, however, centre-backs are essential.
(Main photos: Getty Images)