Gary O'Neil has completed his first summer transfer window at Wolves, selling a couple of key assets and bringing in a number of players to fit into his team.
When O'Neil came into the club last year, he inherited a team that Julen Lopetegui had built and the former Bournemouth coach was given very little funds to work with due to Financial Fair Play issues.
Now this summer, he has had the chance to rebuild the squad into his own system and personnel of players.
The window has now ended and most Wolves fans are pleased with the business and excited to see a new group of players in the squad, as well as a new-look tactical shape.
Key incomings
Tommy Doyle (£4.3 million)
The Manchester City graduate made his loan move permanent this summer after a fruitful first campaign at Molineux, making 30 appearances and impressing highly with his control on the ball and his expansive passing range.
He has become an important part of O'Neil's squad and has fills the role of a technical deep-lying playmaker in midfield that has been missing since the departure of Ruben Neves.
Rodrigo Gomes (£12.7 million)
The Portugal under-21 international became Wolves' second signing of the summer. He joins the Portuguese contingency in the West Midlands in a deal that keeps him at the club until 2029.
His move to Molineux came off the back of an impressive season on loan at Estoril, where he scored nine goals and grabbed eight assists in the Portuguese top-flight. The winger is very versatile, being able to play on either the left or the right.
Jorgen Strand Larsen (Loan)
A number nine was much needed this summer and Larsen, who Wolves had been following for a while, was the perfect man to fill that role.
He arrives at Molineux on the back of a solid campaign in La Liga, scoring 13 goals as Celta Vigo's top scorer. The Norwegian man is initially on loan but his deal will automatically become permanent next summer.
Pedro Lima (£8.5 million)
Brazilian wonderkid Pedro Lima was set to sign for Chelsea before Wolves hijacked the deal last minute.
The 18 year-old is highly rated and made 26 appearances last season in Brazil's second league for Sport Club do Recife. He plays as a forward thinking right-back, similar to Nelson Semedo, and will look to challenge the Portuguese man after some impressive performances so far.
His deal sees him join the club until 2029 with an extra year extension.
Bastien Meupiyou (£4.2 million)
French defender Meupiyou has joined the club from Nantes after his debut season in Ligue 1. He was out with injury for the majority of last season but has been playing regularly in pre-season.
The 18 year-old joins for a reported fee of around £4 million and provides excellent versatility to the squad, being able to play at left-back and central midfield. His deal sees him at the club until 2029.
Sam Johnstone (£10 million)
The experienced goalkeeper joined from Crystal Palace this summer to provide competition to Jose Sa after recent disappointing performances from the Portuguese shot-stopper.
He arrives in the West Midlands for the fourth time, having stints at Walsall, Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion. He impressed in his last match against Nottingham Forest showing his composure and ability on the ball, which is something Wolves have needed for a while.
Andre (£22 million)
Young midfielder Andre joined the club on deadline day and becomes Wolves' fourth Brazilian player.
The club have wanted him for a long time with Sporting Director Matt Hobbs commenting:
"It feels like a long time in the making. He’s got the same agent as Joao Gomes and is a player we talked about when we did Joao. We hadn't been in a financial position in other windows to do it, when we were interested. It’s one that I thought we were going to miss out on, so I'm unbelievably excited to have him come and join us."
The 23 year-old is a physical defensive midfielder and has earned five caps for his nation and won the Copa Libertadores with Fluminese in 2023.
Carlos Forbs (Loan)
The final signing for Gary O'Neil and a second deadline day addition was Ajax winger Carlos Forbs. The Portuguese winger is very technical and possesses blistering pace.
It was reported Wolves were looking to bring him in as a replacement for the outgoing Pedro Neto, and on deadline day they swooped in for their man.
He initially joins on loan with an obligation to buy for around £14 million, only if certain clauses are triggered.
Key outgoings
Pedro Neto (£53 million)
Neto leaves Wolves after five seasons at the club. He became a superstar under Nuno Espirito Santo during the lockdown season and became a fan-favourite at Molineux.
However his injury record has prevented him from really breaking through to the top level. Chelsea came in with a huge bid and a combination of consistent injuries and Wolves' financial issues meant it was a no brainer to let Neto go.
Max Kilman (£40 Million)
The central defender joined from Maidenhead in 2018 and became a regular started under Bruno Lage.
He joins former boss Lopetegui at West Ham for around £40 million in a deal that saw his former non-league club earn £8 million from a 20% sell-on clause.
Kilman had not been up to par in terms of performances in the last couple of seasons, and so Wolves fans will not be too upset to see him leave.
Other incomings and outgoings
Incomings:
- Goncalo Guedes (return from loan)
- Yerson Mosquera (return from loan)
- Daniel Podence (return from loan)
- Boubacar Traore (return from loan)
Outgoings:
- Bendeguz Bolla (free - Rapid Vienna)
- Louie Molden (free - Crystal Palace)
- Fabio Silva (loan - UD Las Palmas)
- Hugo Bueno (loan - Feyenoord)
- Ki-Jana Hoever (loan - AJ Auxerre)
- Chiquinho (loan - RCD Mallorca)
- Joe Hodge (loan - Huddersfield Town)
- Nathan Fraser (loan - Zulte Waregem)
- Chem Campbell (loan - Reading)
- Tawanda Chirewa (loan - Derby County)
Transfer window grade - 8/10
This summer has been quite successful for Wolves. The sales of Kilman and Neto generated close to £100 million which was then spent to rebuild the squad with young, exciting players that will fit into O'Neil's squad.
The money has also helped to ease the club's financial problems, meaning less pressure and more security for the board.
It really feels like a brand new start at Molineux, with O'Neil bringing in his own players and despite the slow start to the season, there is a real buzz around the squad due to the excitement of seeing a brand new team.
The returning loans of Guedes and Mosquera have also provided extra depth and are almost like completely new players in the squad without having to spend any money, since they have been out on loan for multiple years.
Wolves have really struck the balance so well with bringing in a mix of youth and experience.
Their window this season could beat 2023's January window where they brought in Matheus Cunha, Mario Lemina and Joao Gomes.
