Johnny Phillips: Cash is king as Wolves look to summer window
When it is a question of money, everyone is of the same religion.
A Chinese investment conglomerate, a veteran Spanish head coach and a novice English sporting director.
It is not 18th Century Paris, but if Voltaire walked the corridors of Compton Park this week, there would surely be enough material to inspire the French philosopher. Just when Wolves were heading serenely into the summer, une crise économique has enveloped the club.
Well, it is perhaps more a cultural shift. It is important to distinguish between the two because Wolves are financially stable under Fosun, but there are always external forces at play.
The talk of money has brought everyone to the table. There is so much to consider but it is worth beginning with the reality of the situation before addressing the geo-political aspect of how this scenario may have developed.
Financial Fair Play (FFP) is a complex issue which has found a place at the front and centre of the narrative, with even Lopetegui himself referencing it.
Wolves have to watch their step this summer like any club and, if they do, there is no imminent risk of breaching Profit & Sustainability regulations, the Premier League’s version of FFP.
But Lopetegui was shocked when first told, several weeks ago, that the recruitment department was required to turn a substantial profit from the summer window’s trading, upwards of £50million.
That requirement is part of Fosun’s strategy, and the ownership is perfectly entitled to adopt this approach. But the head coach had believed that one or two sales, with additional players leaving on free transfers, would be the trade-off for some serious spending.
The three players most likely to bring in revenue are Ruben Neves, Matheus Nunes and Nelson Semedo.
Neves will surely depart. He moved his belongings out of his house in Wolverhampton last summer and never got around to putting everything back when his move to Barcelona fell through.
Several months ago, Nunes was expected to move to Liverpool at the end of the season but that is not the formality it once appeared.
In fact, it is Neves who is seen as a better fit for the Reds by some within the hierarchy at Anfield.
