Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri may have departed, but there are reasons for Wolves fans to be quietly optimistic ahead of the new season.
Vitor Pereira was one of the outstanding coaches in the Premier League last term, leading the club to a comfortable survival from a position that seemed hopeless, and will have a full pre-season to work on his stars.
There has been a reshuffle behind the scenes to, with sporting director Matt Hobbs departing and a five-strong leadership team installed, including Pereira ally Domenico Teti, who will be director of professional football.
While replacing Cunha and Ait-Nouri will be a tough job, Wolves retain strong links with Jorge Mendes’ agency Gestifute and are close to signing promising playmaker Fer Lopez from Celta Vigo.
What types of players will Wolves target? How big is their transfer budget? Which fringe players could leave? And will Pereira sign a long-term deal at Molineux.
Here Mail Sport answers all your Wolves questions.
How much money do you think is available this window? – Jack
Wolves are like the majority of clubs in the Premier League: they are not a revenue-generating machine like Manchester United or Liverpool, so they have to stay the right side of spending rules by selling players.
They are prepared to invest, as we see with the imminent £19million signing of Fer Lopez from Celta Vigo, but it is unrealistic to expect all of the money from the sales of Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri to be used to improve the team.
More will be done, though, with Wolves needing to replace Ait-Nouri and find solid back-up for Jorgen Strand Larsen. I’d expect players like Sam Johnstone and Craig Dawson to leave, too.
Do you think there will be any ‘marquee’ (£30M-35M+) signings this summer for Wolves? – Dave
Many Wolves supporters grow frustrated at what they believe to be a lack of investment in the team, but a great deal of money was committed on transfers in the 2022-23 season, when Goncalo Guedes, Matheus Nunes and Matheus Cunha joined and more than £200million was spent.
But Wolves cannot spend like that window after window and if they push the boat out this summer, it is likely to be on young players whose value can increase.
Does Vitor Pereira want a change in goal? – Matty
Jose Sa is an interesting one. Those who have worked with him talk of a highly talented goalkeeper but there have been occasional doubts about his mentality, and former boss Gary O’Neil was certainly keen to replace him. However, Sa regained his spot and is largely a solid operator at Premier League level.
I think it’s one of those where Wolves would listen to offers if they had a replacement in mind, but Vitor Pereira showed faith in Sa throughout last season and he still has two years left on his contract, with an option for a third.
What is the status of Vitor Pereira’s contract extension? – Ivan
Pereira was a contender for manager of the season last year. It is hard to overstate the mess Wolves were in when he joined. To lead them to survival with plenty to spare was an outstanding achievement, particularly for a coach working in English football for the first time.
Pereira’s contract runs for another season and in Wolves’ ideal world, he would sign a new deal and keep the team moving on an upward curve. But Pereira may want to see how the rest of this window unfolds before committing himself to a longer deal.
Cunha and Ait-Nouri are two big departures and any coach would want to see them adequately replaced.
What are the long-term plans for external investment in the club? Is Fosun open to selling shares to investors? – Joey
First point: every club is for sale, no matter what they tell you. For at least two years, there have been conversations with possible partners about buying a minority stake in Wolves and while they remain open to external investment, Fosun’s commitment to the club remains solid.
While mistakes have undoubtedly been made by the ownership, this will be Wolves’ eighth straight season in the Premier League and they have never been in a relegation battle heading into the final stretch.
It feels like Fosun have gone back to what worked in the first place – a Portuguese head coach, and a close relationship with Jorge Mendes’ Gestifute agency. I’m cautiously optimistic about the season ahead.
What is the status of ‘fringe’ players like Traore, Doyle and Hwang under Pereira? – Isaac
In the age of PSR, clubs will always be open to doing deals for those players not considered vital by the coach. I think Wolves would, therefore, listen to offers for all of these players.
Hwang is an interesting one: in the first half of the 2023-24 season, he was excellent under O’Neil but injuries and loss of form meant he never quite got going again after that period. In theory, he could be useful to Pereira as he can operate wide or through the middle but I just don’t see him becoming a key player again.
What is the plan for the wing-back positions? – TW
Nelson Semedo has been offered a new deal but has still not signed it and has other offers on the table, while Ait-Nouri has gone. The wing-back roles are crucial to Pereira’s system and they need to get this one right.
Rodrigo Gomes showed promise when he played last season and Hugo Bueno spent the campaign out on loan – though the Spaniard was not an automatic starter for Feyenoord in the Eredivisie, so it is a stretch to believe he could be first choice in the Premier League.
That’s why I expect Wolves to sign at least one wing back, ideally one who could play on either flank.
What does Domenico Teti’s day-to-day role look like? Is he just first-team focused? – Ian
Teti’s arrival is an encouraging sign for Wolves fans worried about Pereira’s long-term future. The pair worked together at Saudi club Al-Shabab and Pereira trusts the Italian, so Wolves’ decision to hire him is a big show of faith.
I’d be surprised if he was influential as Matt Hobbs became at the height of his powers as sporting director, particularly as Teti is now part of a five-man leadership team. Teti’s title is director of professional football but I expect his main role will be to support Pereira and provide a link between the dressing room and the board room.
What is the current situation with Nice striker Evann Guessand? Are wolves seriously interested or one for the back burner? – Dan
Guessand is admired across Europe though from the conversations I’ve had, there is still a lot of development to be done before he is ready to start in the Premier League.
That was the same with Strand Larsen a year ago, and the Norwegian ended up being of the best signings in the top flight last term. So if you’re signing Guessand at the current asking price, he has to be your first choice, and that’s no guarantee at the moment. One to keep an eye on.
Any interest in any homegrown players this summer or will the club focus on U21s from abroad to fill out the squad? – Stone Cold Strand Larsen
On the one hand, there will always be interest in homegrown players in the PSR era, usually when clubs are discussing player exchanges and swaps. But Wolves are in good shape with spending rules and with the departure of Hobbs, the model may have adjusted slightly.
With Hobbs and O’Neil in the key roles, Wolves were as ‘British’ as they have been at any point in the Premier League era. But it didn’t work and as I said, Wolves have gone back to what has worked before in the Fosun era.
