A look at the Premier League table would suggest that Wolverhampton Wanderers are in a stable position.
Despite dropping two places on the final day, their 10th place finish was their third in the top half since winning promotion in 2018. This was, of course, their first without the management of Nuno Espirito Santo, who was replaced by Bruno Lage after four seasons in charge.
In Lage’s first campaign they finished higher than in 2020-21 and picked up more points than in that Covid-affected season. But in the final months of last term, there was only one direction Wolves were heading…and it wasn’t up. After beating Leicester on February 20, Lage’s side were six points off the top-four - having played two games fewer - and one point ahead of Tottenham, who they had soundly beaten the previous weekend.
But in their final 14 games, Wolves picked up just 11 points. They ultimately ended a full 20 off the Champions League places and Antonio Conte’s Spurs. Their final seven matches yielded just two draws as hopes of European football were emphatically dashed.
It was no surprise then that Lage spoke with great clarity about what he wanted from the club’s ownership structure when it came to recruitment in the window. “It’s very important for us that the players are here on the first day, then we will have four or five weeks of work to start the Premier League in the best way,” he said.
“We can explain everything so that new players know the ideas. We are working for that. In the same way we need to understand the policy of the club, the modern days. The first sale is going to be like a domino - the money will move.”
Now just days away from that pre-season schedule beginning, Wolves have failed to bring in a single player. In fact, a squad that was already threadbare has been trimmed further, with Romain Saiss and back-up 'keeper John Ruddy leaving at the end of their contracts and Ki-Jana Hoever and Ryan Giles allowed to go out on loan.
Each new day appears to bring a new transfer link, but while their Premier League rivals are moving forward, Wolves are in danger of trying to stand still. In a departure from the hushed nature of so many Premier League clubs, Molineux chiefs are reasonably open with supporters, with the ‘Ask Wolves’ series offering an insight into the goings on behind the scenes.
Chairman Jeff Shi’s involvement was derided due to his mentions of ‘brands’ and ‘eSports’ and admitted that under Fosun’s stewardship there was a ceiling that Wolves were close to hitting. It’s all a far cry from the heady days of 2018, when after sealing a return to the Premier League, Shi suggested reeling in Manchester City was the target.
"I do hope we can be the top club in the world. But it's not so useful to talk too much about that now,” he explained four years ago. "It's step by step. If you ask me the long-term goal, of course, we want to be as good as Man City, even better than them in the future."
Those comments always appeared naive and so it has come to pass. There is an acceptance from fans that competing with the top four is too much, but the switch to self-sustaining low spenders is becoming increasingly difficult to stomach.
The signing of a player of the ilk of Matheus Nunes would certainly quieten detractors, but reports in Portugal claim any move for the Sporting star is on hold due to Ruben Neves. Many had deemed it an inevitability that Neves would be leaving for big money, but almost a month into the window and the market hasn’t materialised as expected.
Wolves quite rightly are playing hardball with their most prized asset, with suggestions they want in the region of £60m for the Portugal international. It means that the list of potential suitors is an extremely narrow one.
Manchester United have been linked for months, but appear to be prioritising Frenkie de Jong, while Arsenal are focusing their attention elsewhere. And with Wolves happy to bide their time, they risk backing themselves into a corner and losing any of their leverage in negotiations.
The last three months of the season made it crystal clear that a reshuffle to the playing squad was required. Having already missed Lage’s first deadline, the club’s owners need to decide on their ambitions and avoid a situation which would see Wolves in a weaker position at the end of the window, than they were in at the start of it.
