Wolves’ Transfer Window Roundup

The transfer window has slammed shut, and Wolves’ business in the market has split opinion amongst the fanbase. This piece will rate each player individually on how beneficial they are/can become for the club and provide an overall summary of Wolves’ transfer window performance.

Incomings

Fer Lopez- 6/10

Fer Lopez arrives at Wolves with high potential yet limited experience in his professional career. Upon joining the club, the Spaniard had only played in 20 league games for his previous club, Celta Vigo, scoring just 4 goals. However, he quickly became a source of excitement for the La Liga side, with Vigo fans saddened to see him leave.

The fee of £21million seems high, however, at the age of 21, Fer Lopez is an exciting talent who possesses great technical ability and appears to be a creative spark in the glimpses that fans have seen so far.

If his career at Molineux is a success, his age suggests that Wolves could achieve a significant return financially, proving the fee paid to be a worthy investment. On the contrary, there is an element of risk involved due to Lopez’s inexperience, he will need time to settle and adapt.

Jørgen Strand Larsen- 8/10

Wolves ensured that their star striker would remain in Old Gold. Larsen quickly became a fan favourite last season, scoring 14 goals in his debut year and playing with a passion that supporters love to see.

Newcastle were strongly linked with the Norwegian throughout the window, yet he remains at the club after signing a four year contract off the back of his successful loan spell.

Wolves paid a fee of £22million for the forward but it could easily be argued that it was money well spent after Larsen’s crucial goals helped the club survive relegation fears. Supporters will hope that Strand Larsen will shake off the transfer speculation and continue to be a key player for Vitor Pereira.

Jhon Arias- 6/10

Jhon Arias could easily be a fantastic signing for Wolves. As a direct replacement for Matheus Cunha, he has colossal shoes to fill. After being named in the team of the tournament for the Club World Cup, it comes as little surprise that there is an expectation for the Colombian to perform.

Arriving for a fee of around £16million, the 27 year old has experience and is coming into the peak of his career, however he has never played in Europe before.

With the gaping hole of Matheus Cunha leaving, it is certainly a gamble to replace him for a player with no experience in the European leagues, nevertheless the Premier League. Therefore, Jhon Arias has pressure to perform and Wolves certainly need him.

David Møller Wolfe- 4.5/10

The rating is a low one, purely due to who he is replacing. Wolfe arrives at Molineux (similarly to Jhon Arias) with the task of succeeding superstar, Rayan Ait Nouri.

Wolfe seems to be a steady acquisition, costing just £10million. He’s not a name that will make fans jump out their seats, and that could be the issue. Rayan Ait Nouri was involved in 11 G/A last season, the most out of any full back in the league.

Wolfe will not offer such attacking threat, however he seems solid in defence. He competes with Hugo Bueno for the starting left wing back position, therefore he will need to prove himself worthy of being a suitable Ait Nouri replacement.

Jackson Tchatchoua- 5/10

Rapid, raw and slightly unpredictable. Jackson Tchatchoua arrived from Serie A as the fastest player in the league, however Wolves fans will be wondering if he has the quality to replace captain, Nelson Semedo.

He looked promising in the midweek Carabao Cup fixture against West Ham, where he assisted from a cute ball into the box. However, he struggled against Everton to impose himself on the right hand side.

A fee of around £10million is a reasonable price for a player at just 23. Vitor Pereira will be hoping that he grows into a fitting replacement for the right wing back position.

Ladislav Krejci- 6/10

Ladislav Krejci arrives from Girona: a team Wolves played (and lost) against in pre season. His versatility enables him to play in various positions, but it is thought he has been bought to play in the back three.

The Czech defender has an impressive goal record at his previous club Sparta Prague, adding dynamism and additional threat in an unexpected fashion, yet once again in a recurring theme, he is a player unproven in the Premier League.

Krejci was bought in on a loan deal with an obligation to buy after a realistic number of appearance for around £23million. Only time will tell if he is worth the fee.

Tolu Arokodare- 7/10

This is a signing that is quite exciting. Tolu Arokodare scores goals, being the joint top scorer in the Belgian league last season.

The Nigerian international stands at 6ft6’, matching the profile of strong and physical players that Vitor Pereira requested. With Wolves managing to keep a hold of Strand Larsen, a potential partnership between the two is an exciting prospect.

For a fee of £23million, he needs to hit the ground running, but all the signs are pointing in a positive direction.

Outgoings

This is where Wolves’ window plummets into below par.

Three crucial players left Molineux in the summer, leaving supporters wondering whether their replacements are of the same quality. Matheus Cunha was easily Wolves’ best player last season- he’s departed to Manchester United. Rayan Ait Nouri left for Manchester City and Nelson Semedo on a free to Fenerbache.

Wolves only sold Ait Nouri for around £30million, an extreme underpayment for potentially the best left back in the league currently, demonstrating Wolves’ questionable ability to negotiate and ambition to keep their best players.

On a more positive note, Fabio Silva has finally left the club in a beneficial agreement for all parties. Wolves managed to recoup £19million for the Portuguese striker, which draws his disappointing tenure at Molineux to a close. Alongside Silva leaving, Goncalo Guedes leaves on a cheap deal to Spain, ridding the club of his extortionate salary.

Overview

The Wolves transfer window wasn’t as disastrous as people claim it to be. The sales of Cunha and Ait Nouri are of course a massive blow, however Fosun have invested and backed Vitor Pereira considerably greater than previous managers, spending over £100million in the summer. It however remains to be seen is these players are Premier League calibre.

One main criticism I have is how late they have conducted their business: with us being winless in the opening three games, the team are largely lacking confidence and a poor start is never a good thing. Fer Lopez looks promising and we await to see the impact of Tolu Arokodare, however in an ideal scenario I would’ve liked another attacking midfielder and a backup to Joao Gomes and Andre.

Despite this, I believe that it’s now down to Vitor Pereira to ensure he gets the best out of his squad.