Wolverhampton Wanderers

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Potential plans to develop Molineux have been the subject of several questions sent in via our 'Ask about Wolves' form.

Read below what our BBC Radio West Midlands reporter has found out.

Treat yourself by watching the BBC special report from Molineux, external in 1958, seeking to explain why Wolves were the most successful club in the land.

After a bow-tied David Coleman asks Stan Cullis what he's learned from watching Brazil, and Kenneth Wolstenholme experiences Wolves' fitness regime ("What's the point of this weight-training?"), the final proof that Wolves are the country's most forward-thinking football club is offered by the chairman Jim Baker.

He proudly shows off plans for a revamped stadium, expanding capacity to 75,000. "We aim to attract families by making them more comfortable and giving them better protection from the weather."

Alas, it never happened, and decades later it seems that the most recent new vision for Molineux will also remain only an artist's impression.

In 2019, at a time of surging confidence, the pictures were offered as a long-term view of what Fosun thought the stadium could look like. Those ideas have been gradually scaled back ever since, with the club indicating that squad-building came before stand-building. The newest side of Molineux is the Stan Cullis Stand, opened in 2012. Two stands remain from the rebuild overseen by Sir Jack Hayward in the early 1990s, while the Steve Bull Stand is now over 45 years old, and showing its age.

The most recent indication of Fosun's thinking was offered by the executive chairman Jeff Shi in an interview with the "Business of Sport" podcast in July, external.

"We have 32,000 seats at the moment, and I think it's good enough," he said.

"Maybe 35 or 40 [thousand] is the max for the city, but it's not very urgent. I think the urgent change is we should have more hospitality areas, to serve the clients from business, if they want to have a better environment to have a conference or eat there. We should do more on this."

Shi explained that the tired Steve Bull Stand is the likely focus of any such work.

"The next plan is to try to change a bit there, and build more areas for hospitality, for more business clients to come to enjoy there. Similar to what Fulham did with their new stand. But they are more high-end, for the super-rich clients to come. But we are more for maybe not super-rich, but some clients who want to have a better environment.

"The goal is not to rebuild the stand or the stadium," Shi concludes.

"It's more about to tweak, to change, to optimise it."

Some fans have expressed their annoyance at the tatty appearance of parts of Molineux. But with the pressure to prioritise spending on the team – and many thought they didn't do enough of that this summer either – no wholesale redevelopment seems likely in the foreseeable future.

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Dazzling Dave
Fan writer

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Wolves may not have many obvious advantages at St James' Park this weekend, but Jackson Tchatchoua's pace is one that could alter the tone of this match.

Wolves have stumbled out of the blocks, but Tchatchoua offers something that can lift the whole side: raw, relentless speed. Already clocked at 37.3 km/h this season, he is officially the fastest player in the 2025-26 Premier League, and the third-fastest ever recorded. That matters. It stretches games, unsettles defenders, and turns average passes into chances.

The £10m signing already has an assist for the club, and his direct running on the right has given Wolves a new outlet. In a side searching for their first points, that injection of pace is more than a statistic - it is a game-changer.

Of course, speed alone does not win games and we have to turn those bursts into goals. Early, low crosses. Cutbacks from the byeline. Balls flashed across the six-yard box. That is where the conversation moves from promise to points.

Fitness in the number nine role is really important. Ideally, Wolves need Jorgen Strand Larsen fit and active in the box, attacking those deliveries. His presence gives Tchatchoua a clear target.

We are yet to see our new striker Tolu Arokodare in action. He is not match fit and has only managed 30 minutes so far this season, so expectations must be managed. But this adds another layer to how Tchatchoua's service could be used. For now, the priority is getting a consistent finisher on the end of those balls.

This does not need to be complicated. Give Tchatchoua the lane, encourage him to be brave, and make sure there is a runner between the posts when the cross comes in.

Wolves have started slowly, but pace creates possibility. Use Tchatchoua as the outlet, commit to quick transitions, and the season can kick into gear.

In Tchatchoua, we have a spark with jet fuel. Harness it properly and the tone can shift quickly from concern to confidence.

Find more from Dazzling Dave at Always Wolves, external

Wolves expect no issues negotiating a new contract with Jorgen Strand Larsen but they will include a minimum release clause for the forward, after rejecting two offers of more than £50m from Newcastle United in the summer. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

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Lazio goalkeeper Christos Mandas will consider his future in January after losing his place in the starting line-up, with Wolves potentially reviving their interest having made a £17.3m bid for the 23-year-old Greece international during the summer. (Corriere dello Sport), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Monday's full gossip column

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BBC Radio WM brings you highlights of a special Wolves' football forum hosted by Daz Hale, Mike Taylor and David Kelly and recorded at The Cleveland Arms.

Listen now on BBC Sounds

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Wolves striker Sasa Kalajdzic has returned to his native Austria to join LASK on a season-long loan.

Kalajdzic moved to Molineux from Stuttgart for £15m in 2022, but has suffered two serious knee injuries, leading to lengthy spells on the sideline and significantly limiting his playing time.

In total, the 28-year-old has made 16 appearances for the Old Gold, scoring three goals.

He was loaned to Eintracht Frankfurt last season but returned to Wolves after suffering his third ACL injury in the space of five years.

Kalajdzic has featured in the Premier League and Carabao Cup for Vitor Pereira's side this season.

The Austrian transfer window shuts on Friday evening.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves executive chairman Jeff Shi believes head coach Vitor Pereira will find the winning formula again after three straight defeats left them bottom of the early Premier League table.

A wretched start to last season - Wolves failed to win any of their opening 10 games - ultimately cost Gary O'Neil his job.

Pereira replaced him in December and took Wolves away from danger, ultimately finishing 16th and 17 points above the bottom three.

Wolves then sold star men Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri to Manchester United and Manchester City respectively in the summer, but kept Jorgen Strand Larsen after rejecting bids from Newcastle.

Shi has promised Pereira will be given time to arrest the slide, with Wolves travelling to Arsenal after the international break.

"Wolves need stability now - we need a coach to stay here and help us for a long time," he said. "Every coach needs time and the jigsaw to be made. We should give the coach enough time and the players he needs to prepare for the season.

"I feel the more important thing to define this season is the squad and the coach, the chemistry and the unity. If you have that foundation, you will have a strong season. If you don't, maybe you have a doubt.

"Before Vitor came the team chemistry had some problems. This year that issue is gone. We have a strong team spirit and a very committed team structure."

Image source, Getty Images

Former Wolves midfielder Dave Edwards says he and his team-mates were not "devastated" to miss out on the Championship play-offs in 2008 because they knew good times were around the corner.

Having joined the club in January from Luton Town, Edwards was part of Mick McCarthy's side that finished outside the play-offs on goal difference.

However, the following season, they secured promotion by winning the Championship outright.

"What Mick [McCarthy] did best was let everyone know we were building," Edwards told BBC Radio WM. "He came in really tough circumstances the year before I joined and there was a clear direction he needed to go in.

"He needed to save the club money so he was really invested in younger players from lower leagues who he thought had the ability to play at a higher level.

"We sensed that one more summer of recruitment where we would lose a couple of players and bring a few more in, would make us be in a really good spot.

"None of the players at that point, barring Jody Craddock, had played in the Premier League. So it wasn't like we had that experience and we were devastated because we knew how much better the Premier League was.

"The Championship still felt amazing to us. The summer came, a few new faces were added in and we just knew from there we had a right good chance."

Listen to the full interview on BBC Sounds

Image source, Getty Images

The dust has just about settled on a busy transfer window for Wolves.

In total, the Midlands club brought in seven players for a total of about £102.1m based on reported initial fees.

Those incomings were:

• Tolu Arokodare - Genk

• Jorgen Strand Larsen - Celta Vigo

• Fer Lopez - Celta Vigo

• Jhon Arias - Fluminense

• Jackson Tchatchoua - Hellas Verona

• David Moller Wolfe - AZ Alkmaar

• Ladislav Krejci - Girona (loan)

*All permanent unless stated.

Heading the other way, Wolves had 11 outgoings. This included the likes of Matheus Cunha to Manchester United, Rayan Ait-Nouri to Manchester City and Fabio Silva to Borussia Dortmund.

Of all the summer arrivals to Molineux, who do you think will have the biggest impact?

Rank them here

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Thank goodness that is over. But what's not to like about the transfer window, anyway?

Wolves insisted they would not sell Jorgen Strand Larsen, and didn't - and they brought in back-up too. Yes, senior players left, but none unexpectedly or cheaply, and the credit ledger was boosted by cash for Fabio Silva, who many had effectively written off as a bad debt.

Letting go of big earners well into the later stage of their careers freed up money to invest in the wages of players on the way up. Wolves found a young player to fit each of the gaps in their squad left by a departure - including, in Jhon Arias, a man who was the talk of the summer, at least if you were watching the Club World Cup.

All of the above ought to be elements of a good window. In isolation there is merit, or at least logic, to each of those deals. All look good business.

Yet, on Saturday night, Vitor Pereira – whose sunny demeanour was a torch for Wolves to follow on their march out of trouble last season – was saying his team would be "struggling" if they failed to sign a midfielder in the final hours of the window, which they didn't.

Many others present on Saturday expressed their concerns in rather more blunt terms. Notwithstanding the retention of Larsen - an outcome that reflected well on both the club and Larsen himself, in a summer when some players looking for moves appeared to show rather less grace – the general feeling is that Wolves are weaker after the window than they were before it. Even the kindest judges say the jury is out.

Wolves have lost things that are hard to count. A succession of leaders have left in recent windows, experienced players with Premier League nous. They leave behind a squad full of players who could be good, or have been promising elsewhere, but are largely unproven in this environment.

That was felt on the field in the defeat by Everton. Wolves put in their usual dogged effort, rewarded twice by good goals when the Toffees dozed off. But for long spells they seemed to be rushing in circles to no effect, while Jack Grealish and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall picked them off for sport.

The worrying sense was of a squad, assembled at significant cost, collectively worth less than the sum of its parts.

"Full attention can now be given to the football," notes writer and broadcaster Johnny Phillips in his thorough Substack survey, external of Wolves' transfer business.

After Everton, giving attention to the football is not such a comforting thought.

BBC Radio WM is recording a Wolves fans' forum at The Cleveland Arms in Wolverhampton on Thursday evening, which you can hear on all frequencies and on BBC Sounds between 6-7pm on Friday

Explore Wolves content on BBC Sounds

Dazzling Dave
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Hopes were high at the start of Wolves' summer. Fresh funds and hints that Fosun had learned from past mistakes set a positive tone. By deadline day, that optimism had faded. Fans were left asking how a promising summer ended so flat.

The key question is simple: are Wolves stronger after this window? The answer is a clear no.

High-profile departures stripped out Premier League experience, and replacing that was always going to be hard. It speaks volumes that the headline success was keeping Jorgen Strand Larsen, a player who only signed permanently six weeks ago.

One glaring issue is the failure to sign an attacking midfielder.

Wolves will start the season with a midfield of four: Andre, Joao Gomes, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Marshall Munetsi. That is a fragile set-up for a long campaign. Allowing players like Bouba Traore and Tommy Doyle to depart and failing to reinforce the midfield was a clear oversight, and it could come back to haunt us.

We sold well, overall.

Rayan Ait-Nouri still felt underpriced, but avoiding a heavy loss on Fabio Silva was a surprise positive. After that, we struggled to reinvest in proven experience. Several targets passed, wary of a project that lacked ambition and a team short on form. While rivals lined up replacements within days, Wolves hesitated. The plan felt reactive, and the delays have left preventable holes in the squad.

Emmanuel Agbadou, Jackson Tchatchoua, Munetsi, and Tolu Arokodare are likely to miss December and January for the Africa Cup of Nations, and there is little sign of a plan to cover their absence.

The new signings have talent, but they need time to adjust to the league's speed and physicality. Early signs are mixed - few look fully comfortable, though there have been promising signs of potential.

The fans' frustration with the window is understandable.

Vitor Pereira has his hands full. He needs to turn promising individuals into a cohesive unit, define roles and build chemistry quickly. We don't have time to wait for the squad to find its rhythm and identity.

Window rating: 4/10. This window has seen a massive overhaul - the squad seems unbalanced and has had probably far too many changes rather than building on the existing team.

Hopefully the incomings settle fast. Right now, it feels like another relegation fight is more likely than progress, but only time will really tell whether this has been a good window for Wolves or opened the trap door wider.

Find more from Dazzling Dave at Always Wolves, external

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

The jury will be out on Wolves' new signings. It needs to be for at least two or three months as they adapt but this is the Premier League and time is of the essence.

Three straight defeats has sparked fears of another struggle especially after selling their two best players.

Matheus Cunha's £62.5m move to Manchester United and Rayan Ait-Nouri's £31m switch to Manchester City at least banked money early and gave Wolves and boss Vitor Pereira time.

A minimum of three recruits were expected in the last couple of weeks of the window and they arrived in defender Jackson Tchatchoua, the versatile Ladislav Krejci and deadline day striker Tolu Arokodare.

Midfielder Fer Lopez and winger Jhon Arias joined earlier but will also take their time to adjust.

Pereira did want another midfielder, free agent Josh Brownhill has been considered, but the club struggled to find the player to fit the profile he wanted so they are a little light, certainly in terms of quality back up for Joao Gomes and Andre.

It is one of the reasons why there has been a planned £26m outlay on the defensive Krejci once his loan from Girona turns permanent as he can also play in midfield.

Yet it is hard to escape the accusations Wolves look weaker. Internally there is a challenge for the new signings to prove themselves but even those who impressed last season - January signing Emmanuel Agbadou - have started the season poorly.

There are concerns about goals and experience. Pereira lost around half the goals of last season - 17 from Cunha - and fears about them not being replaced are real.

Of the five players who played the most minutes Ait-Nouri, Nelson Semedo and Cunha have departed.

Keeping Jorgen Strand Larsen, resisting Newcastle's £50m and £55m bids, was a fine show of strength with the club internally proud and the striker has responded well.

The £20m brought in for Fabio Silva from Borussia Dortmund is also impressive as it recoups a large chunk of the £35m outlay for a striker who flopped.

The wage bill is down and Pereira filled almost all the vacant spots but doubts remain and after their winless Premier League start Wolves must ease those quickly.

• Listen to BBC WM's summer transfer summary on BBC Sounds

Watch Total Sport's transfer deadline day special for West Midlands clubs, focusing on the business done by Aston Villa and Wolves, plus the region's EFL sides.

The show offered all the latest updates and analysis for your team's transfer business.

Watch back here

Wolves have completed the signing of Genk forward Tolu Arokodare.

The Nigeria international has signed a four-year deal at Molineux with the option to extend for a further 12 months.

The 24 year-old scored 23 goals in all competitions last season. His 21 in the Belgium Pro Leauge won him the Golden Boot award.

Arokodare has also played in Latvia, Germany and France and has made four appearnaces for his country since making his internationall debut earlier this year.

"It feels amazing. It did take a while, but I'm here finally, and I'm happy to be here," said the 6ft 6in striker.

"I didn't need convincing. I know the history of the club and the players that have been here and how they've progressed to become better players. I like the project of the club, and that's what I want for myself. I want to improve and I want to progress, and help this team.

"I think I'll fit in pretty good. If you look at the strikers that we have now, we're almost the same profile, so it won't be difficult for me to adapt. You could see how good [Jorgen Strand] Larsen did last season, and I'm just here to help the team.

"I wouldn't say I'm completely match fit, because I haven't played more than 30 minutes in a single game, but I'm going to the national team now, and hopefully I get to play games, and if it doesn't happen, I'll just try to stay fit and come back and be in top form for the team."

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, BBC Sport

It was an interesting team sheet at Wolves Under-21s' game with Blackburn on Friday night, just one example of what clubs can do to signal player availability.

Wolves made the decision to make it clear to any scouts present who was available for loan, without them having to ask the question.

The team sheet was also circulated to EFL clubs so they were aware just who could be allowed out on loan ahead of tonight's deadline.

Wolves wanted to save time and speed up the process - saving clubs and scouts picking up the phone to ask - for their youngsters, who went on to beat Blackburn 3-1 in Premier League 2.

They have been keen to send right-back Pedro Lima out on loan, having beaten Chelsea to his signature last summer.

Alfie Pond has made six senior appearances and is available along with Harvey Griffiths and Daniel Angel.

Jamaica international Dexter Lembikisa, who has spent time at Hearts, Barnsley and Rotherham, can also leave on loan.

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves are prioritising a striker on transfer deadline day as they close in on Genk forward Tolu Arokodare.

The club has agreed a £24m fee for the 24-year-old, who scored 21 times for Genk last season - the joint top scorer - as they finished third in the Jupiler League.

The Nigeria international will add support to Jorgen Strand Larsen with Wolves looking to have fought off Newcastle's interest, having rejected two bids of £50m and £55m to keep the Norway international at Molineux.

It means striker Sasa Kalajdzic is likely to go out on loan - the striker's three years at Wolves have been wrecked by two serious knee injuries.

Wolves are also targeting central midfield cover but they can only sign homegrown players, with former Burnley captain Josh Brownhill an option, but no move for Middlesbrough's Hayden Hackney is planned now.

Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone is expected to stay. The England international was signed from Crystal Palace by Gary O'Neil last summer for £10m but lost his place to Jose Sa after just five starts.

He has made just seven Premier League appearances for Wolves and had been exploring his options.

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views on Wolves' transfer window so far, and what you'd like to see done before Monday's deadline.

Here are some of your comments:

Mark: Although we have bought players in this window, none are close to the quality we have lost. A creative attacking midfielder and a couple of quality, Premier League ready forwards are still desperately required. Without these additions, I cannot foresee anything other than relegation.

Neil: Keeping Strand Larsen is a must. We also need a ball-carrier in midfield and another attacker who is quick to support Larsen. We also need to use the academy players more.

Deryck: We need a leader to organise our defence - it's going to be embarrassing otherwise because the lack of concentration is ridiculous. It doesn't matter how many goals we score if we keep giving goals away.

Edward: We need another striker. Larsen can't do it all himself and without another back-up or starter alongside him, we will struggle with goals.

Dave: So far, we've been absolutely useless. Any serious owners can't keep selling their best players and signing supposed talent to sell on once established. What we need is Fosun to do one!

Rich: Not looking good so far. The new players have lots of running in them but little football ability. Hope it's early days with better to come, but with a lack of creativity on the field, these teams he's putting out won't cut it.

Today is the second transfer deadline day of the summer following a brief closure in June because of the Club World Cup.

In a change to previous windows, clubs only have until 19:00 BST to complete deals, bringing the Premier League in line with the EFL, Italy's Serie A, France's Ligue 1 and Germany's Bundesliga. The window in Scotland and Spain remains open until 23:00 BST.

It has already been a hectic window - with a number of storylines still to be resolved - but whether it turns out to be a day of transfer action or a pretty quiet one for your club, you will be able to keep across it all on BBC Sport.

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We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Wolves and Everton.

Here are some of your comments:

Wolves fans

Chris: Wolves continue to gift goals with their defensive mistakes. Too slow paced and next to no movement off the ball. There were plenty of opportunities to play a through ball but none of the forwards, until the substitutions, positioned themselves to break through into the wide-open space beyond the Everton defence. A draw, at least, was achievable with better tactics and effort.

Mike: Defensive errors and misplaced passes suggest a lot of soul searching and hard work ahead. More quality and positivity is required just to be competitive.

Colin: Clueless. No attack, no defence and not much in between. This squad would struggle in the league below. The low points Premier League record is in danger of being beaten this season.

Steve: For 60 minutes of that game Wolves were submissive. Passing was shocking and we kept giving the ball away. Beto bullied all three central defenders. Fer Lopez looked class and should be starting.

Everton fans

David: We are showing more and more self-belief. We can win games, we can hold on. I love the way we move forward now. That improvement in quality in the final third is delivering. A couple more in on Monday and a decent top-half finish is possible.

Gareth: We finally have a number of players who love the ball and can make things happen. And what about the ringmaster Jack Grealish? Reminding everyone what a brilliant player he is. It's rare to be a happy Evertonian in August!

Dave: It's been a long time since Everton had a genuine game-changer like Grealish. The ball just seems to stick to him. He glides around the pitch and spots opportunities other players do not. Adding the industry of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and the trickery of Iliman Ndiaye, and Everton - one of the lowest scorers in the league last season - look like a genuine threat going forward.

Andy: Excellent away win. More nervy than it should have been. Grealish, Dewsbury-Hall and Ndiaye were awesome. If we had defenders of similar quality, then we'd be a real force. Shout out to Jimmy Garner for an brilliant display. Onwards and upwards, Blues!