Adrian Clarke looks at what Wolverhampton Wanderers need to do in the summer transfer window to improve their squad.
Wolverhampton Wanderers
A poor end to the season may trigger Gary O’Neil to revamp his Wolves squad this summer.
In truth, much will depend on whether they are tempted to sell prize assets Matheus Cunha and Pedro Neto, who are both attracting a lot of attention in the transfer market. If one or both leave Molineux, then the focus will be on finding quick, ball-carrying attacking midfielders or wingers to fill the void they leave.
Indeed, one of the two players they have signed so far this summer is Rodrigo Gomes, a player of that ilk.
Elsewhere, O’Neil will know he must improve the team defensively. Wolves kept one clean sheet across their final 17 matches and desperately need to strengthen in central defence.
Their Expected Goals Against (xGA) numbers in open play were very poor, and but for some outstanding goalkeeping from Jose Sa (who prevented an additional 9.6 goals according to Opta), they would have lost a number of extra matches.
Bringing one of two new faces into O’Neil’s back five feels essential for Wolves to make progress in 2024/25.
| Club | Open play xGA |
|---|---|
| Luton | 61.99 |
| Sheff Utd | 57.28 |
| West Ham | 51.32 |
| Burnley | 50.96 |
| Wolves | 49.24 |
The squad also lacks the presence of a target man centre-forward. O’Neil has lots of attackers who can plug a hole up front as a "false nine" or operate as a striker that moves into the wide channels, but they lack a physical presence to hold the ball up.
Several academy products were deployed towards the end of the season up front, so it would be no surprise if Wolves prioritised a forward in this mould.
Key positions to target: Centre-back, attacking midfield, centre-forward
Ins and outs so far
| Player | Transfer Type | Club | Full Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tommy Doyle |  Transfer In |
Man City | Details |
| Rodrigo Gomes | Transfer In |
Braga | Details |
(Last updated: 12 June)