After an incredible season, it was only in Europe that the Wolves struggled - against seasoned sides like Napoli and Everton. So, with the Champions League secured for next season, where do they need to improve?
Talking about players who should be unsellable, it is impossible not to mention Kevin de Bruyne. After 3047 Bundesliga minutes (source: Kicker) he definitely is one of the most important players for Wolfsburg.
World-class players like him mostly don’t stay in Lower Saxony that long, so rumours began to gather pace - Chelsea, Juventus, Manchester City, Barcelona, Bayern München all were reportedly interested.
There are basically no top-clubs left which haven’t been linked to De Bruyne but Klaus Allofs, Wolfsburg’s sporting director, said that he’s 100% sure that the Belgian will play for Wolfsburg next season; fantastic news for the Wolves.
However, players like Robin Knoche (23 years old) and Maximilian Arnold (21 years old) are youngsters with a bright future, should also be kept by the Wolves.
Who to sell then? Nicklas Bendtner definitely hasn’t had the best season of his career. With only 28 appearances and 5 goals (source: transfermarkt) he was not even half as important as Wolfsburg’s other striker, Bas Dost. He is probably the most likely player to leave in summer and it shouldn't be too hard for the Wolves to cope with his loss.
Also Aaron Hunt, who only came to Wolfsburg from Werder Bremen in 2014, is not satisfied with his situation. After only few appearances in the first half of the season, Hunt was understandably frustrated and talked about a return to Werder Bremen publicly.
With a medial collateral ligament tear in February he was basically out for the rest of the season. Selling Hunt would indeed be an option, especially with his current market value of €5m.
Xizhe Zhang, the Chinese midfield player, who came in winter 2015, would be another player Wolfsburg could afford to lose. He didn’t play a single second for the Volkswagen Arena outfit in a competitive match and does not seem good enough for a top-four German.
Patrick Ochs and Max Grün could also be moved on. Since they are not really needed anymore and, at 31 and 28 respectively, time is not on their side either.
Sebastian Jung is another name that may not be on the Wolves' team-sheet this season. However, it may be best to give him time to progress and reconsider the situation. If he isn't getting anywhere, maybe selling him in Winter or the next summer is the best option.
Koen Casteels, the Belgian 22-year-old goalkeeper, got bought by Wolfsburg in winter but went to Werder Bremen for a 6-month-loan. He is a good, young player but with the über-consistent Diego Benaglio in goal, it may be in his best interests to seek another year-long loan move.
And the new players? Wolfsburg already have already made a big move, with the purchase of Max Kruse from Borussia Mönchengladbach - a direct opponent for the Champions League qualifying places - for €12m.
After scoring 22 goals and 16 assists, he had a great season at Gladbach and Wolfsburg can consider themselves fortunate that they got picked by him as his “next step“. Kruse has the quality and adaptability Wolfsburg needs.
He’s also technically adept and fast and he fits well in the system of the Wolves - having a striker, who also assists and helps in the midfield, is essential for playing in the Champions League.
Still there are many transfer rumors about Wolfsburg. Mario Mandzukic is only one of them. Though Wolfsburg do not want to pay more than 15 million for him and Atletico Madrid, at least, want 22 million - so that deal probably won’t happen. Also returning to a previous side is often the wrong decision, as a club should move on and not step back.
Another rumor coming up this season was about Sebastian Rode, currently under contract at FC Bayern München. However unrealistic this might be, it would still be a superb deal for the Wolves. With Luiz Gustavo, the inexperienced Maxi Arnold and Josuha Guilavogui, who is only on a loan from Atletico Madrid, Rode would be a great fit. Still, he said that he wants to stay in Munich - another one that looks like nothing more than a rumour.
The biggest recent transfer rumor was about Sokratis (Papastathopoulos) from Borussia Dortmund. Wolfsburg are still in need for a good centre-back, and it's even better when he’s as internationally experienced as Sokratis. It’s been a tough season for him and he wants to stay in the Bundesliga, so if he leaves Dortmund, Wolfsburg probably is the favorite for him.
On the other hand, Thomas Tuchel wants to give everyone a chance, and is someone who is open for something new. Sokratis might just want to try the “new Dortmund“.
In conclusion: If there is an ace striker (like Romelu Lukaku) on the market and he’s not more expensive than 15 million, it’d be an obligation for Wolfsburg to grab them.
However, what’s even more important is an internationally experienced centre-back and maybe a defensive midfielder. The squad planning for the next season has only begun and it definitely won’t be quiet, not even in Wolfsburg.