Wolverhampton Wanderers have endured a tortuous summer due to Financial Fair Play (FFP) restrictions, but things could still get worse for the Old Gold.
The issues peaked just five days before the opening fixture of the 2023/24 campaign, as former manager Julen Lopetegui parted ways with the club due to the lack of financial support and cohesion at Molineux.
Gary O’Neil was quickly appointed as the new man for the job and the Englishman could be forced to prepare for some further changes to his squad, with rumours surfacing regarding both arrivals and departures in the Midlands.
What is the latest on Wolves’ transfer situation?
The news consuming all things transfer-related at Molineux this week is the future of Matheus Nunes, who has emerged as a player of interest for treble winners Manchester City.
Renowned The Athletic journalist David Ornstein broke the news that City are “exploring” a deal to sign the 24-year-old to improve the midfield, with Wolves suspected to be “unlikely” to submit to the transfer, however, the sale could bring in some much-needed funds for the club.
On Thursday, talkSPORT relayed that the Midlands club had rejected a bid of £47m for the midfielder, who they signed last summer from Sporting Lisbon for £38m.
While selling the player after just a year would be regrettable for Wolves and O’Neil, the club have been linked to a midfielder in recent weeks, with TEAMtalk relaying that the Old Gold had made contact for Burnley machine Josh Brownhill.
The "fabulous" 27-year-old, as lauded by EFL pundit Lee Hendrie, was signed by the Clarets for £9m, making him a potentially strong and cost-effective acquisition to ease the potential blow of Nunes’ departure.
What could Josh Brownhill offer to Wolves?
While replacing the illusive talent of Nunes with the Burnley outsider would seem unappealing for Wolves at first glance, the switch in personnel could be vital to the club’s future.
After a trialling summer due to finances, receiving a hefty sum for the Portuguese whiz could pave the way for O’Neil to bring in some much-needed reinforcements, as the squad remains punctured by earlier departures without replacement.
Despite the midfield technician being dubbed one of the “best players in the world” by Pep Guardiola last year, now could be the ideal time for Wolves to cash in on Nunes, who is yet to make a significant impact in the Premier League.
There’s no denying that the talent is there, hence City’s interest, however in selling Nunes and acquiring Brownhill, the Old Gold may just be able to keep themselves safe this campaign.
As highlighted by their respective numbers in the 2022/23 campaign, it’s clear to see that the two players adhere to similar roles in their style of play, regardless of the difference in quality.
As per FBref, Brownhill averaged 4.78 progressive passes and 1.81 key passes per 90 in the Championship last term for the Clarets, in comparison to Nunes’ 3.06 progressive passes and 0.99 key passes per 90 in the Premier League.
The decimals aren't suggestive of the Englishman being a superior player to the Portuguese, however, it does relay the script that capturing his signature could give O’Neil a figure capable of potentially filling the void left in the instance of the 24-year-old’s farewell.
It will be interesting to see how the tale of the remainder of the summer transfer window plays out for Wolves, who undoubtedly need further reinforcements to ensure they can survive the obstacles of the campaign ahead.
