Johnny Phillips: Fosun’s January ambition is a statement of Wolves' intent

A statement of intent, ambition and a reflection of a new market explored, supporters have every reason to be pleased with the month’s business. Never before has the club committed so much money at this time of year – more than £75million taking into account the obligation to buy Matheus Cunha at the end of the season.

Julen Lopetegui now has strength in key areas that looked fragile before Christmas.

He will be particularly pleased with the numbers in midfield as, all of a sudden, Wolves have the potential to become a vibrant team once more after the stagnation of recent months.

Only in attack, where a genuine No.9 might still be required to take the pressure off Raul Jimenez and Diego Costa, is there a question remaining about Wolves’ ability to pull clear of trouble.

Cunha is clearly a substantial talent, but he is not the sole answer to Wolves goalscoring problems.

He looks more suited to the No.10 role or a position further wide, where the squad is not short.

Something similar could probably be said of Pablo Sarabia, whose impressive CV makes him something of a bargain at just £4.5m from Paris Saint-Germain.

Mario Lemina beefs up a midfield that has been overrun at times this season, with an unfair weight on Joao Moutinho’s 36-year-old shoulders alongside Ruben Neves.

With power and willing running, Lemina’s style contrasts sharply with those around him, but he can provide a great foil for the gifts of Matheus Nunes and others.

If Lopetegui can integrate these additions quickly then Molineux can become a joyous place for the remainder of the season.

Will Craig Dawson be thrown straight into the fray this afternoon? The veteran defender will need to gain a quick understanding with those around him.

The conundrum at the heart of defence is a fascinating one and Lopetegui has an interesting decision to make.

The Joao Gomes deal from Flamengo illustrates the recruitment pathway that now exists to South America.

Of all the new markets Wolves’ recruitment department has been exploring in recent years, this is the one they have been making most significant ground in, with sporting director Matt Hobbs and his staff travelling to South America on a regular basis.

The 21-year-old is not expected to hit the ground running, though, and Wolves are prepared to be patient with a prospect who was scouted for some time. It is sometimes overlooked, but ensuring good loan moves for those who are not yet ready or have become surplus to requirements is an important part of squad regeneration.

Wolves have impressively placed several players elsewhere.

Matija Sarkic, Chem Campbell and Yerson Mosquera will all benefit from regular first-team football. Goncalo Guedes just needed to get out, with the player and both clubs pleased with the outcome of his move to Benfica. Fabio Silva and Ki-Jana However have been given further opportunities to continue their development too.

Transfer windows are also about the moves that do not happen.

At one stage it looked as if Nelson Semedo would be on his way out, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka stepping in at right-back, but as January progressed it became clear that neither move would take place.

By the middle of the month the Manchester United player had become a bigger part of Erik ten Haag’s plans and Lopetegui was happy to keep Semedo in the ranks.

A deal for Bristol City midfielder Alex Scott was close, but ultimately the Championship club put too high a price on the player. At £25m, the 19-year-old was deemed too expensive – even though he was a name high on the priorities of Wolves’ recruitment department and would have signed.

Another who has been mentioned as one that got away a few months earlier is Enzo Fernandez, whose £106m transfer from Benfica to Chelsea sent shockwaves around Europe.

The Portuguese club have made a hefty profit on their £15m summer recruit from River Plate.

For clarity, there was a deal on the table to be done last summer.

Fernandez and his representatives were willing to secure a move to Molineux, but it did not happen because Wolves were not prepared to spend the money at that stage.

June 2022 seems a lifetime ago, but it was a time when Fosun’s strategy involved a streamlined transfer operation where funds for expenditure had to be self-generated. The owners may be wincing now that Fernandez has commanded such an astonishing fee, but they should not be criticised as they were marching to a different beat six months ago, and several other clubs looking at Fernandez will feel they missed out, too.

The blueprint suddenly changed at Wolves just before the summer window shut and that has been borne out not just by the huge transfer outlays now totalling over £170m, but the operation off the field where Fosun Sports Group are continuing to strengthen and acquire investment.

Lopetegui and his management team have been handsomely remunerated for stepping into the breach, and would certainly not have come without assurances of on-field investment.

As Wolves prepare to face the final four months of the season, there is a stellar look about the club that simply wasn’t there last summer.

It was this month three years ago that supporters saw the possibilities opening up at home and in Europe, genuinely believing Wolves were a becoming a force in the Premier League.

A global pandemic disrupted the world order and progress was derailed on and off the pitch.

The squad gradually broke up and was insufficiently replaced.

A combination of factors on the training ground and in the boardroom put Wolves in trouble.

Now, the investment of January coupled with a new management team should be enough to see the team pull clear of danger.

And if that first hurdle can be cleared, there is no reason why this club cannot rise again.

In stark contrast to Wolves, Everton’s transfer window was a shambles: “Dry January” as one seasoned reporter called it.

Selling Anthony Gordon for £40million and not replacing him was negligent.

I just can’t see Sean Dyche turning it around.

The club looks so far gone that not even a man of his pragmatic organisation can stop the rot.

Goodison Park has become a toxic place where the home players are fearful of putting a foot wrong.

The team cannot score enough goals and the defence is struggling to cope with the pressure.

Sorry times for a club steeped in top-flight tradition.

And staying with this week’s theme of the transfer window, one player who Everton couldn’t get over the line – Andre Ayew – has become Nottingham Forest’s 30th signing of the season.

I can’t get my head around that number. What a transfer strategy!

And pity the poor club secretary who had to do the paperwork for the tens of incoming players.

Ayew has been without a club since leaving Al Sadd, of Qatar, so perhaps it was always on the cards that Forest would appear over the horizon and turn to the striker once his availability became known.

Steve Cooper has done a great job this season trying to mould a team from such a disparate group of individuals.