Wolverhampton Wanderers

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves boss Vitor Pereira praised Hwang Hee-chan after the forward chose to face West Ham instead of returning to South Korea following the death of his grandfather.

Hwang missed a penalty in Tuesday's 3-2 EFL Cup win to continue his goal drought and has not scored for Wolves since December.

He has only netted four times for the club since December 2023, but Pereira defended him after the death of Hwang Yong-rak at the age of 93.

"Do you know what happened with Hee-chan this week? His grandfather passed away," said Pereira.

"When I ask him, I said you decide if you want to go to Korea - his grandfather was very close to him.

"He showed me he wants to help the team, he wants to stay here, he wants to try. He gave everything to help us. We need to respect his character a lot and I respect him.

"He is a player I want to keep here."

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

There was always going to be collateral damage from Alexander Isak's stance at Newcastle and Wolves are feeling that now.

As the striker tries to force a move to Liverpool the Magpies are still scrambling in the last few days of the transfer window.

They have been interested in Porto's Samu Aghehowa but have so far balked at the £60m pricetag for a 21-year-old who scored 27 times last season.

A move for Brentford's Yoane Wissa is yet to come off, with the Bees rejecting two bids - the last being £40m for last season's 19-goal forward.

Like the Bees, Wolves have shown resistance in the face of big money after two bids for Jorgen Strand Larsen and they do not want to sell the 25-year-old.

There is little time in the window to replace the Norway international, especially when Wolves are still looking at bringing in other strikers to support Strand Larsen.

He is their most potent weapon and survival is naturally worth more than the current transfer bids, losing him would put Wolves' top flight status in jeopardy.

A return of 14 goals in 30 Premier League starts during a debut season in England on loan from Celta Vigo helped them survive after Vitor Pereira's December arrival.

Yet Newcastle's desperation could see them throw good money after bad, Strand Larsen is a good player but - having joined permanently from Celta £23m this summer - is he £60m+ good?

The question is when do the Magpies decide it is too much or do circumstances dictate they need him whatever the cost?

Image source, Getty Images

We asked for your views after Wolves' EFL Cup win over West Ham.

Here are some of your comments:

Walshie: Looked half decent towards the end of the first half and in the second half when the tempo was upped. But survival will depend on two things: how quickly someone can wake Agbadou up and Hwang never wearing a Wolves shirt again. Yes there were circumstances last night but let's not use it as an excuse for the last two seasons of awful performances!

Adam: Strand Larsen needs to stay at Molineux or we will definitely be in the Championship next season.

Cole: We are a capable team, but we get punished often due to many mistakes. Overall I believe we won't get relegated but we need to sign some more quality players!

Alan: After so many defeats in pre-season warm ups and losing the first two league games it was so important to get a result. Hopefully this will be the springboard to going forward and garnering the team spirit so obvious in yesterday's victory. It saddens all fans to know that Fosun treats the team - buy cheap and then sell our star players on once they have been moulded into great players. Going forward we can only hope we strengthen the squad and keep our best players on board. It is vital that Fosun supports our excellent manager.

Martin: It's simple, keep Strand Larsen and it's Premier League football next season, sell him and it's Championship football.

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves have "hopefully shifted the momentum" on to their side after Tuesday's 3-2 Carabao Cup win over West Ham, says striker Sasa Kalajdzic, who made his first competitive appearance in over 560 days.

"It sounds even harsher when you say it like that," Kalajdzic told BBC Radio WM about his absence. "I had a newborn one week after I got injured - I had plenty of time not to think about myself so I've spent it well. It was a long time but I'm happy to be back.

"It was amazing [his return] and not the easiest one being 2-1 down, but I'm happy for the win. It's easier when the team is successful. But it was tough, and I can see I've been out for a long time so, it's getting better and better."

On getting the win alongside fellow striker Jorgen Strand Larsen: "It's important and I'm happy for the team and for Jorgen. It's a nice solution having two tall players up front - it's a rare combination nowadays but I think it's effective sometimes.

"We can breathe a little bit for one or two days, but then it's full focus because the league is more important than the cup.

"Football is momentum sometimes and hopefully we've shifted the momentum on to our side now."

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Jorgen Strand Larsen pounced twice in two minutes to earn Wolves their first win of the season, with manager Vitor Pereira saying afterwards he wants the forward to remain at the club.

"If it's my decision, of course (he stays)," he said. "He is a very important player. He is a player with character. I imagine his mind at this moment, listening to a lot of things, reading.

"He goes to help the team and in the last minutes I asked him to go back and help as a centre-back. He is a team player. He is a top player.

"Until now, Jorgen is our player. He is a very important player for us and we will see what happens. Football is football and every player has a price, even Messi or Cristiano. I understand football but for me it's very important for us. We will see what happens."

Pereira added that Strand Larsen has shown no indication of wanting to leave.

"I know a lot of players in my career, in this situation, and they have asked me not to play," he said. "But he wants to play every time. He wants to help the team.

"You must be ready for everything but I want to keep the best players and this kind of player with us."

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves boss Vitor Pereira, speaking after Tuesday's 3-2 Carabao Cup win over West Ham: "Today, I'm proud of my players and proud of my supporters, because today was a win of character.

"We showed character, we showed personality, we showed commitment, team spirit, and this is what is fruitful for me.

"We have a good connection [with the fans] because they know that we are hard workers, not only me, but my staff. We suffer together, and we deserved this win for that reason. The connection between us and them is very important. In a small city, we need this connection."

On Jorgen Strand Larsen's importance after his double: "He is a top player, with the right mentality.

"He doesn't care if he plays, if he comes from the bench, he'll go there and try to help the team. He's a team player, but he has the qualities that can score. Of course, it was not only Strand Larsen, but it was the team, the spirit of the team, and we scored and I'm very, very happy for him."

On the win giving momentum: "I believe that we can [gain momentum] because I know the work that they are doing every day, day by day in training, and I feel that we have players with character, and I know the quality of our work.

"I know when we have the true spirit in a team, when you create the spirit, we can win games.

"I hope the supporters come again to help us, because we are a club that is not the top club in the league, but we are a good club, and with organisation and with spirit, we can get results."

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Wolves's performance

What did you make of West Ham's display?

Wolves boss Vitor Pereira has made eight changes for the EFL Cup visit of West Ham.

Only Emmanuel Agbadou, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Jhon Arias remain from Saturday's Premier League defeat at Bournemouth.

Wolves XI: Johnstone, S Bueno, Agbadou, Mosquera, R Gomes, Andre, Bellegarde, H Bueno, Lopez, Hwang, Arias.

Subs: Bentley, Doherty, Munetsi, Wolfe, J Gomes, Strand Larsen, Kalajdzic, Chirewa, Tchatchoua.

Alphonse Areola, Kyle Walker-Peters, Dinos Mavropanos and Guido Rodriguez start for West Ham at Molinuex.

Mads Hermansen, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Maximilian Kilman and Niclas Fullkrug drop out from their 5-1 defeat to Chelsea, with Wan-Bissaka not in the squad.

West Ham XI: Areola, Walker-Peters, Todibo, Mavropanos, Aguerd, Diouf, Rodriguez, Ward-Prowse, Soucek, Paqueta, Bowen.

Subs: Hermansen, Scarles, Kilman, Potts, Orford, Irving, Fullkrug, Wilson, Marshall

There are five games involving Premier League sides in the Carabao Cup second round on Tuesday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Wolves v West Ham (19:30)

• Burnley v Derby County

• Sunderland v Huddersfield Town

• Bournemouth v Brentford - listen on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 3

• Sheffield Wednesday v Leeds United (20:00) - listen on BBC Radio 5 Live

Kick-off times 19:45 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction here

Dazzling Dave
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

Two games in and the worries are already real.

Manchester City was never a fair gauge, which is why Bournemouth felt like the first proper test. What we saw was a disjointed side making avoidable mistakes, and this time some blame sits with Vitor Pereira.

Dropping Andre for Jean-Ricner Bellegarde upset the balance from the first whistle. Andre screens the back line and settles the midfield; Bellegarde is far better higher up the pitch. Asked to anchor, he struggled positionally and his early error handed Bournemouth the only goal they needed. From there, Wolves chased the game without ever looking like they had a route back, and the red card for Toti only underlined the lapse in control.

The lack of creativity is a bigger concern. Wolves do not look like scoring. The numbers back it up: around 0.46 expected goals at Bournemouth with one shot on target, and roughly 0.54 against City with three shots on target. Across two matches that is barely a single expected goal. The stats don't bode well for survival let alone success in the Premier League.

Wolves once had a clear identity: compact, disciplined, and quick in transition with width and pace. This season we distinctly lack the long-sought identity that Pereira talks about. This is understandable as it's tough to build an identity when you take away half the team.

I am worried about Wolves this season and that's coming from an eternal optimist. At risk of repeating myself again, Wolves need players ready to hit the ground running, we need creativity, plus we are lacking strong leadership on the field. This needs to be addressed quickly before the window shuts.

I fear another season hoping for there to be three worse teams than us. Surely fans deserve better than this?

Find more from Dazzling Dave at Always Wolves, external

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves have no desire to sell Jorgen Strand Larsen after rejecting Newcastle United's £50m bid.

The limited time they have to sign a replacement, with the transfer window closing on Monday, and the current prices are factors in their thinking.

Newcastle is an attractive option but the striker has remained professional and could start in the EFL Cup against West Ham at Molineux on Tuesday.

It is in contrast to Alexander Isak's position at St James' Park, with the forward not playing and trying to force a move to Liverpool, leaving Newcastle desperately trying to sign a replacement.

Strand Larsen only made his move to Molineux from Celta Vigo permanent for £23m this summer after scoring 14 goals in 30 Premier League starts on loan last season.

Wolves have lost their opening two games without scoring and are looking to sign another striker.

Getafe's Christantus Uche is a target and the forward played in a 2-1 La Liga win at Sevilla on Monday.

Wolves will hand Jorgen Strand Larsen a new contract after rejecting a £50m bid from Newcastle, but the Molineux club could still be tempted to sell the striker if they receive an offer in excess of £75m. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Wolves boss Vitor Pereira is keen to bring in Girona's Czech Republic centre-back Ladislav Krejci, 26, and is also pushing to sign a central midfielder and a versatile forward before the window closes. (Guardian, external)

Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund are close to reaching an agreement with Wolves for the signing of 23-year-old Portuguese striker Fabio Silva. (Athletic - subscription required, external)

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Nick Mashiter
Football reporter

Where the goals will come from has been a concern over the summer at Wolves - and the subject of several questions to come in via our 'Ask about Wolves' form.

They scored 63 last season but lost just over half - 32 - before this campaign, with Matheus Cunha (17), Goncalo Guedes (five), Rayan Ait-Nouri (five), Pablo Sarabia (three), Tommy Doyle (one) and Mario Lemina (one) all leaving.

Christantus Uche, Getafe's young striker, is expected to arrive at Molineux to provide some back-up, but more is likely to be needed.

Jorgen Strand Larsen is a good option and his 14 goals in 30 league starts last season was a good return in a debut season. However, he needs help.

Vitor Pereira wanted at least three more players before the season. Wolves have added right-back Jackson Tchatchoua from Verona, while Uche is expected to be the second.

Uche is just 22 and therefore still developing, so it would be wrong to expect him to score 20 goals. He only got four for Getafe in 2024-25.

Uche did net in the 2-0 win at Celta Vigo last week, but he is not at the level to fill Cunha's boots.

Wolves are not going to spend the type of money which is going to land them a proven Premier League scorer, so they need to come up with alternatives.

Have you got a question about Wolves? If so, get in touch here

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

Here are some of your comments:

Bournemouth fans

Wing: It was a good performance despite not having our strongest team out there yet. Clearly the defensive unit is growing in cohesion and confidence playing together, and it could have been 2-0 or more. A controlled display and we are getting sharper, and I can't wait for this team to really motor and get started this season!

Charl: Bournemouth sat back and watched as Brooks toiled relentlessly. Scott and Tavernier should have been taken off much earlier. We were missing the energy until the subs came on. Defence looked better - two good additions settling in nicely.

Wolves fans

Mike: Not sure where the goals are coming from. A team low on confidence and short of ideas. We need a more direct approach from midfield. New players in key positions needed urgently.

Richard: Creativity totally lacking through the whole squad. Where's Fer Lopez? Long season ahead and only relegation on the cards if this continues. I just can't see where a goal is coming from.

Glyn: Caught cold again as in many previous games over past seasons as we stand back and let the opposition lay siege to our box. I am sorry to say I just can't see where goals are going to come from this season with the players we have in attacking positions. Couple this with no attacking midfield players and this season looks like a long, hard slog to retain Premier League status next year. I am not optimistic.

Pundits Alan Shearer and Micah Richards join host Kelly Cates to bring you the action and talking points from Friday and Sautrday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Brentford 1-0 Aston Villa

• Burnley 2-0 Sunderland

• Arsenal 5-0 Leeds

Matthew Howarth
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Wolves' haphazard display at Vitality Stadium only underlines their urgent need for reinforcements before the end of the transfer window.

Jackson Tchatchoua - a recent arrival from Hellas Verona - carried a threat after replacing the injured Ki-Jana Hoever in the first half, while full debutant Jhon Arias struck the side-netting early in the second.

Manager Vitor Pereira's decision to withdraw the Colombian summer signing a little over 10 minutes after half-time was met by a smattering of boos from the away fans, clearly frustrated by the visitors' lack of cutting edge.

Wolves' best spell of the game arguably came after Toti Gomes' dismissal early in the second half but Arias' chance was the closest they came to rescuing an unlikely point.

The west Midlands club are reportedly in talks to sign Girona defender Ladislav Krejci, external as they look to provide additional cover for Toti, who will now miss Tuesday's Carabao Cup tie at home against West Ham.

Wolves have ruled out selling striker Jorgen Strand Larsen to Newcastle but their lack of creativity in the final third was clear for all to see at Vitality Stadium.

Vitor Pereira spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Wolves' defeat against Bournemouth: "We started the first half creating a big chance to score and we missed it. We didn't and after we conceded a goal out of our plan because the plan was not to build play inside but to go to the sides. We know this is a team playing here who are very aggressive in the middle. We concede the goal and we tried to compete with a strong team. We made some changes at half-time. With the red card, playing against this team is not easy as 11v11 or 10v11. We tried to keep our organisation, we were united and organised. We didn't concede any goal but it was difficult to score and they won the game.

Football is football, it is all about mistakes. The only way I know to correct mistakes is to work. We need to give time for the new players to adapt in this league. It is different when you come from different leagues and feel the intensity and pressing which is difficult. This group works very hard and we will see in the end what our position is in the market. Two defeats is not what we were expecting but we know what we want and we will try to improve our game."

Wolves defender Matt Doherty spoke to Premier League productions about Saturday's defeat: "We're disappointed, we've lost the first games of the season which is not ideal. After the red card it was actually better and back against the wall but disappointed with how the game went before the red card.

On conceding early: "Our game plan was not to play through the middle and we did that and got punished. We made mistakes that we knew we shouldn't have made and they are a good side and punished us off the first chance that they got."

"We made the changes and it was working up until the red card."

Did you know?

Wolves have now picked up just one point in the Premier League since the beginning of May, playing six matches in the competition, losing five and drawing the other. This is the outright fewest points won during this period amongst all ever-present sides.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Bournemouth's performance

What did you make of Wolves' display?

Come back to this page on Monday to find a selection of your replies