CAN WOLVES PROGRESS IN 2024/25?

Gary O’Neil and the last days of the summer transfer window

“I can only ask my team to represent what we are and what we want to be and they definitely did that today.”

It was an interesting remark from Wolves head coach Gary O’Neil in the immediate aftermath of the defeat to Arsenal on Saturday. The gulf in class between the two sides was clear but it was by no means a chastening experience for the visitors. The finer details of key moments that O’Neil later referred to might, at a push, have led to a different outcome. There was enough to like about the way Wolves set about a Herculean task at the Emirates Stadium. But, ultimately, the game got the winner it deserved.

So, after one full season and now a first pre-season, how far away from representing what O’Neil wants them to be is this team? And, with just a week and a half left before the transfer window closes, what will Wolves’ squad look like for the 2024/25 season?

Earlier this summer, the club acted quicker than in recent seasons, bringing in winger Rodrigo Gomes from SC Braga for £12.8million, right-back Pedro Lima from Recife for £8.5m and midfielder Tommy Doyle from Manchester City for £4.3m, after his loan ended. There was also a £2.5m loan fee for Celta Vigo striker Jorgen Strand Larsen that will be converted into a £23m move if certain clauses are triggered by the end of this season.

Two of those were handed debuts in North London and showed, in glimpses, what they can bring to O’Neil’s side. Wolves have not been short of Portuguese players in wide areas during the Fosun era, and Gomes had the hallmarks of some of his predecessors. A long way from the finished article, Wolves want him to develop in the manner Diogo Jota and Pedro Neto progressed. After integrating into the side well during the summer tour to America, O’Neil sees Gomes as a better starting option than Pablo Sarabia, Daniel Podence and Goncalo Guedes. There will be easier assignments ahead for 21-year-old than the one he faced on Saturday afternoon.

Larsen’s capture may represent a watershed moment for a team that has struggled to find an effective number nine since Raul Jimenez’s horrific injury on the same ground almost four years ago. Since that dark November night in 2020, Wolves have tried out Fabio Silva, Willian Jose, Sasa Kalajdzic, Diego Costa, Hwang Hee-Chan and Matheus Cunha in the central striker role, as well as giving cameos to a couple of academy graduates. None have been the long-term solution in that position but Larsen’s physical presence and mobility may be the answer. How supporters in the away end wished his deft header had evaded David Raya’s fingertips.

It was at the other end of the pitch that Wolves really struggled, particularly in the opening 20 minutes when they turned the ball over far too often, allowing Arsenal to take a stranglehold on the game. The personnel in defence was more suited to a back three, with the addition of a central sweeper. Toti and Premier League debutant Yerson Mosquera will not let anybody down for stamina and tackling but as a partnership there was an obvious fragility against an attack of Arsenal’s calibre. The knock-on effect was more stress in central midfield, where Mario Lemina and Joao Gomes were sometimes chaotically hunting down possession.

With 34-year-old Craig Dawson out of favour, Wolves have now made a firm offer for Burnley’s Dara O’Shea, another former West Bromwich Albion defender, nine years his junior. The acquisition of a centre-back is a priority for O’Neil, who knows the squad cannot cope with the demands of a Premier League season without reinforcements, although supporters would have been hoping the club could turn to a more proven top-level player.

As always, it comes down to a question of money. With over £25m already committed in transfer fees there has been some conjecture about how much the club can spend in the coming days.

National newspaper reports this week, putting a figure on Wolves’ spending power, serve two purposes for their source: downplaying the numbers to any selling club while attempting to extract more money from their own paymasters.

Fosun have come under fire during the last two summers, with the spending essentially drying up compared to previous years. Yet the owners have never shied away from their desire to see a return on huge investments which have taken the club into a seventh successive Premier League season. Where they have struggled is with clear communication from Shanghai, which has at times resembled mixed messaging, leading expectations to be raised at various points amongst both the fanbase and football staff.

The sales of Max Kilman and Pedro Neto put Wolves in a position of substantial profit so far this summer, even if the £94m ‘banked’ represents a symbolic figure rather than the actual amount once significant agents’ fees and clauses are factored in.

In our same post-match interview on Saturday, O’Neil was adamant that Wolves could not just keep banking money without strengthening the squad. He is right, of course. Stand still in this league at your peril. The head coach confirmed that a number of options were being explored and that enquiries had been progressing. But there is clearly frustration at the difficulties being encountered with freeing up further funds.

The coaching staff have never been totally convinced by Jose Sa as a goalkeeper who can help develop the side further. His distribution is one obvious flaw but there have been other moments in the past year that have led the recruitment department to look elsewhere. A move for Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsdale makes sense, particularly as the England keeper is looking for first team football. Ultimately, Wolves are working towards a situation where they can improve on Sa and have a young keeper who offers greater potential in reserve, allowing Daniel Bentley to move elsewhere.

What muddies the water is the requirement to move Sa on, with the club keen to recoup further funds rather than having established first team players occupying places in the squad while not being utilised. Without funds up front, the deal for Ramsdale becomes less likely.

That is why players such as Guedes and Podence are strategically important right now, given that both could help bolster a transfer kitty that is not as hefty as O’Neil would like it to be. One player who will not help the situation, though, is Silva. There is no place in the squad for the 22-year-old striker and that certainly won’t change under the current set-up. It has taken time to reach this point, but there is now an acknowledgement within the hierarchy at Molineux that he will leave without any significant fee being recouped.

Aside from a centre-back and goalkeeper, the two remaining positions of transfer focus are wide and central midfield areas. A bid for Ajax winger Carlos Forbs will be put in place if the numbers can be made to work, with Wolves identifying the player as the closest possible replacement to Neto. The former Manchester City academy player has the ability to run at opponents with the ball, something O’Neil wants from his wide players.

If a move for Forbs falls flat, then a more attractive market financially could well be South America, where Wolves have established a strong network and continue their work to unearth players who can add value.

There is another scenario where O’Neil is unable to bring in the remaining players he wants. Where does that leave Wolves? Pessimists will point to the lack of strength in depth, particularly in defence, and the danger of injuries. Optimists will look at the teamsheet on Saturday and see the makings of a strong side, with options off the bench. The truth is probably somewhere in between.

Since last summer, the departure of Kilman has weakened Wolves defensively, with Dawson now a year older. Yet in attack, Wolves are already arguably stronger. For all that Neto could turn out to be a generational talent, the reality is that at Wolves he was a 15-game Premier League player each season. A full season with Larsen and Gomes may be more than enough to negate Neto’s absence while giving O’Neil the profile of player he wants in a central attacking role.

As always, a definitive assessment of this transfer window should be left until after it closes. O’Neil does not want to embark on this season without further recruits but he was at pains on Saturday to stress how much this squad is pulling in the right direction. “I love that group,” he said. “Loads of heart and loads of quality.”

Larsen and Gomes have found it very easy to integrate. Lima can barely utter a word of English but he, too, has settled well. Guedes is a more grounded individual than the one who struggled to settle on his arrival. Maybe fatherhood has brought out a maturity that has helped off the pitch. The harmonious climate has not gone unnoticed among the backroom staff.

It is a credit to O’Neil and his coaching staff that the working environment is like this. Never underestimate how much such matters can translate to performances on the pitch. This is the third head coach since the halcyon days under Nuno Espirito Santo who has attempted to imprint an identity on the squad. In many respects, this is O’Neil’s squad now despite how little input he has had on transfers to date. That is a nod to the head coach’s adaptability and cohesive work on the training ground. He deserves the opportunity to properly strengthen the squad further before the month is out. If he can do that, then his team has every chance of making the progress their supporters desperately crave.