Wolves blog: Fantasy football at Molineux
With a week left until the season kicks off, it is safe to say Wolves have had an exciting summer.
Despite an expectancy Wolves would sign only a handful of players, there has been another total revamp – with ten first team signings being recruited, writes Wolves blogger Tom Tracey.
Last summer’s intake of 13 appeared far more haphazard, whereas this year Wolves have largely built their team in order.
The crucial forward position is the final, and arguably most important, piece of the puzzle.
The question on many Wolves fans’, rival fans’ and football experts’ lips is: ‘what on earth is happening at Wolves?’
The backroom staff have been replaced by a contingent who were busy managing Champions League side Porto last season, headed up by Nuno Espirito Santo.
Two players from Porto have followed, including Ruben Neves for yet another club-record deal.
Promising young players have joined on loan – with believed options to purchase – from European heavyweights Atletico Madrid and Monaco.
Diogo Jota played a very respectable amount of games for Porto last season, including playing a part in all eight of their Champions League ties.
Barry Douglas chose to come to Wolves over Celtic.
An England-capped goalkeeper has even joined the club!
Admittedly, these comments are putting a positive spin across, but by comparison look at the players who joined in the years before Fosun.
No disrespect to those players, but Wolves were not then the target of envy and scorn from other fans – and the club struggled to attract their primary targets.
In fact, they did so for the majority of the Steve Morgan era – numerous names such as Scott Dann and Nathaniel Clyne either chose to reject Wolves or more elsewhere.
Wolves now have pulling power across Europe.
Players have joined the club since last summer who we could only have dreamed of seeing play in old gold and black a little over a year ago.
The transfer record has been pummelled for the third consecutive transfer window – but all three record-breaking deals have been signed over five-year contracts.
This further protects Wolves from breaking financial regulations, as the transfer cost is spread across the length of the contract.
This means £35m trio Cavaleiro, Costa and Neves are effectively costing Wolves a more reasonable £7m per year, excluding wages.
Signing players such as Boly and Jota on loan is shrewd, because they can hold off on paying the transfer fees until – hopefully – after promotion.
It is looking like a sell-out crowd will watch Nuno’s first match in a testing game against Middlesbrough.
But first, Leicester will provide a very stern test – and hopefully, a taste of the not-too-distant future.
