Wolverhampton Wanderers

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  1. Follow Tuesday's Premier League games livepublished at 18:58 1 April

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    Three matches make up Tuesday's Premier League action and BBC Sport will bring you every kick.

    All kick-off times 19:45 BST unless stated

    Follow all of the action and reaction here

  2. Cunha 'could have just left it'published at 17:34 1 April

    After a recent interview suggested Wolves forward Matheus Cunha wanted to "take the next step" and fight for titles, the Brazil international then went on social media to say the comments were misinterpreted.

    Speaking on the BBC Radio WM Football Phone-In, former Aston Villa striker Garry Thompson feels Cunha did not have to respond to comments around the interview...

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    Tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights

  3. 'The timing was poor' - Bothroyd on Cunha commentspublished at 14:25 1 April

    Matheus CunhaImage source, Getty Images

    The timing of Matheus Cunha's comments implying he wants to leave Wolves "doesn't make sense", says former Wanderers striker Jay Bothroyd.

    Forward Cunha said in an interview with the Observer that he has told the club he needs to "take the next step" and fight for titles in his career.

    However, in a social media video on Monday, the 25-year-old said people did not have the "correct interpretation".

    "The timing was poor," Bothroyd told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast.

    "Everyone knows he wants to leave - he's a quality player who is going to go to a bigger club.

    "But when you've signed a new deal and they've paid you more money - and they've given you a new contract so they can demand more money for you - why would you say this now?

    "This should be a period where he gets his head down and tries to contribute to the team getting results, and then at the end of the season look at the scenario which comes around then.

    "Right now, it just doesn't make sense.

    "It doesn't affect the way you treat them, because obviously they're still your team-mate, but some players might go to him and say: 'Why did you do that?'

    "I had a situation at Cardiff in the last year of my contract where every weekend I was being asked if I was leaving and why I hadn't signed a new deal My answer was simple and what it should be: 'I'm focusing on my football, I haven't got time for anything else.'

    "That is what Cunha should have said to whoever interviewed him about Wolves because it is a big part of the season, there are some big games coming up and he needs to be on form.

    "The manager won't be happy he spoke like that either. It's a strange one."

    Listen to the full chat on BBC Sounds from 08:21

  4. 'A stepping stone for ambition' - but can Wolves strive collectively?published at 11:46 1 April

    Dazzling Dave
    Fan writer

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    Jorgen Strand Larsen celebrates with his teammates after scoring against Southampton in the Premier League.Image source, Getty Images

    Wolves celebrated a special milestone on Friday, marking Steve Bull's 60th birthday. Bull's unmatched loyalty to the club feels like a relic of the past in modern football, where ambition far outweighs long-term commitment. His dedication to Wolves remains iconic, but the reality is stark - players like Bull may never emerge again.

    In contrast, Wolves today seem more like a stepping stone for ambitious players looking to reach bigger clubs. Matheus Cunha, for instance, is already expected to move on this summer, reinforcing the perception that the club's custodians cannot match the ambition of their top talents.

    When bigger opportunities arise, players inevitably leave, exposing Wolves' limitations.

    While Cunha's creativity and technical skills stand out, it is worth questioning whether the team is stronger without relying on individual brilliance.

    Recent performances - like Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Jorgen Strand Larsen stepping up - show Wolves can thrive collectively. The squad's depth hints at potential, but also the inevitable transitions waiting ahead.

    This summer is likely to bring significant changes, with key player sales expected to fund much-needed recruits.

    Jorge Mendes' returning influence at the club alongside internal recruitment sparks some hope for strategic investment, potentially bringing in the quality required to stay competitive.

    However, this optimism is dampened by larger concerns about the club's ambition. Chairman Jeff Shi's comments last summer - that Wolves are not a trophy-driven club - only deepen the frustration.

    Such a mindset risks alienating players and supporters alike, raising doubts about Wolves' desire to compete at the highest level. The fans' patience with mediocrity is wearing thin, and continues to cast a shadow over the club's future.

    As Wolves move toward the end of the season, all eyes will be on Cunha's potential departure, inevitable squad changes and the club's direction.

    But unless the custodians show more ambition and think bigger, Wolves may remain nothing more than a waypoint for players with bigger dreams.

    Find more from Dazzling Dave at Always Wolves, external

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  5. Cunha's comments 'indelicate but not a huge surprise'published at 09:31 1 April

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    Was Matheus Cunha out of line, or was his recent interview in which he seemed to imply he needed to leave the club "misinterpreted", as he suggested on Monday?

    That was the debate on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, as Chris Sutton, Rory Smith and Joe Hart all slightly differed on their stance on the situation.

    "He has probably said a few things that are indelicate and better off being said in June, but I don't think it will come as a huge surprise to Wolves fans," said New York Times chief football correspondent Smith. "It probably won't come as a surprise to Wolves' hierarchy either.

    "But I think there have been a few instances this season that would make you pause around Cunha's character, given he has had two fairly spectacular tantrums. Would that put buyers off?

    "It would feel like a giant cross, in my opinion, so I think he will get his move but it won't be where he might want it to be because of his disciplinary record."

    Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton added: "He is just telling the truth and I think any player is entitled to turn around and say he doesn't want to be scratching around at the bottom of the table. But I agree that he should have waited."

    Cunha said in an interview with the Observer that he has told Wolves he needs to "take the next step" and fight for titles in his career.

    Ex-England goalkeeper Joe Hart acknowledged how Cunha was "very truthful" to say what he did, but there are bound to be "repercussions" for it.

    "That is the route he has chosen to go down and everyone is entitled to answer questions," said Hart. "People get so frustrated with people not answering things truthfully but that sounds like he has been very truthful. The repercussions of that are difficult though for the club and team to accept."

    Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

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  6. Sutton's predictions: Wolves v West Hampublished at 08:35 1 April

    Sutton's predictions graphic

    Wolves have got a nine-point cushion above the bottom three but they still have a bit of work to do to make sure they are completely safe.

    Their best player Matheus Cunha is still suspended, and he is such a big miss.

    West Ham are only one place above Wolves, but are another eight points clear.

    Their results have not been spectacular under Graham Potter but when I look at them, I do think they are improving - they came very close to beating Everton last time out, and actually deserved the three points there.

    I'd like to pick a winner but I am not sure that will get me anywhere - this game smells of a draw.

    Sutton's prediction: 1-1

    Read the full predictions and have your say

  7. Wolves v West Ham: Did you know?published at 07:20 1 April

    Jarrod Bowen scores for West Ham against Wolves Image source, Getty Images

    Wolves lost this fixture 2-1 in the 2023-24 season, but have not lost consecutive home league games against West Ham since a run of three between 1920 and 1922.

    However, the Hammers have won seven of their past nine league games against Wolves, as many as they had in their previous 23.

  8. Pereira on Cunha's ambition, Bellegarde and risk-taking footballpublished at 14:33 31 March

    Tyrese King
    BBC Sport journalist

    Wolves boss Vitor Pereira has been speaking to the media before Tuesday's Premier League game against West Ham (kick-off 19:45 BST).

    Here are the key lines from his news conference:

    • On Brazil striker Matheus Cunha's future after comments he made to The Guardian newspaper about being ready to leave the club: "He knows his potential as a top player. For me, it's normal that he wants to fight for titles. It's natural. What's important is that he is committed to helping the club to achieve their targets until the end of the season."

    • Pressed on whether this means Cunha will leave in the summer: "Next season, I don't know [if Cunha stays]. The focus is the next game and the team, and Cunha is a part of the team. In the summer, we will see what happens but in my opinion, it is normal that a player of his potential is ambitious."

    • On whether Cunha will still play regularly for Wolves despite being linked to a move away: "If the training gives me the confidence to go with Cunha, I will go with Cunha because he has the quality to help us and he has already helped us a lot with goals and assists."

    • Pereira said his squad has "no new injuries" and that the players who have returned from the international break are "all in condition to play".

    • On Jean-Ricner Bellegarde: "I'm very happy for him. He's a team player. In the beginning, I had doubts about his position in the system but now he can play in different positions. He can play in midfield, he can play as a forward and he can play in between the lines. He's a worker, and I like these kind of players."

    • On Wolves' playing style: "I believe that footballers aren't machines. I don't want a robot team - I want a team with brains. There are moments in the game when we need to take risks and there are others when we don't. I want them to have the confidence to appear on the ball in the box to take risks."

    • On West Ham: "It's a big opportunity to get three points and to keep fighting for our supporters - to make them proud by playing with passion. We will face a strong team, technically and tactically. The work of the coach is very good. It's a team with confidence on the ball and high quality, but I have a fantastic team in a fantastic city."

    Follow all of Monday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

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  9. Premier League to have two summer transfer windowspublished at 13:57 27 March

     A man signing a contractImage source, Getty Images

    Premier League clubs have agreed the dates for the summer transfer window.

    The window will open early, between Sunday 1 June and Tuesday 10 June, due to an exceptional registration period relating to the Fifa Club World Cup.

    It will then reopen on Monday 16 June and close on Monday 1 September.

  10. Bellegarde nominated for awardpublished at 12:44 27 March

    Jean-Ricner Bellegarde in action for WolvesImage source, Getty Images

    Wolves midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde has been nominated for March's Premier League Player of the Month award.

    In an unbeaten month for the side that saw them draw with Everton and beat bottom-of-the-table Southampton, the 26-year-old impressively stepped up in the absence of banned forward Matheus Cunha.

    Bellegarde provided assists for all three of Wolves' goals in the league this month and helped the team move nine points clear of the relegation zone heading into the final weeks of the season.

  11. Still chance for Silva to sparkle at Wolves?published at 16:16 26 March

    Mike Taylor
    BBC Radio WM reporter

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    Fabio Silva playing for Las PalmasImage source, Getty Images

    This week, we start at The Hawthorns, of all places, where Fabio Silva scored for Portugal Under-21s against England on Monday. Quirks like that make you wonder if football really does follow a mischievous cosmic script.

    Wolves' strategy these days depends on long-term bets, to some extent, signing players early in their careers in the hope that they will make the club a fortune when they mature.

    If their investment in Silva, whose eight La Liga goals this season have helped maintain Las Palmas' hopes of avoiding relegation, does one day result in Wolves turning a profit, then Molineux's food kiosks could serve humble pie with every order.

    But good for him - before Wolves started loaning him out, he often seemed an innocent abroad and he was put in an impossible position, which he was by no means ready for.

    "I cannot answer that because my focus now is to be in Las Palmas," he told the Express and Star on Monday night when asked about his future.

    His Wolves contract has one more year to run, and it would be a new height of irony if his talent finally flourishes just as his contract ends.

    "I always try to go where I feel happy. I think that is the most important thing - to play football and be happy. It is what I love to do," he added.

    On the same dismal day Wolves conceded three penalties against Bournemouth, Silva was scoring Las Palmas' winner away to Barcelona - so no wonder he felt good.

    However it ends, the Wolves-Silva story demonstrates just what a tricky policy this is - and yet the logic remains impeccable.

    Silva's cost made his an extreme case, and the outlays on individual young players - Rodrigo Gomes and Pedro Lima last summer, for example - have since been more modest.

    In the long run, it would only need one in every few of these bets to develop into a £50m-plus rated property to cover the costs, and you would have the benefit of their talent while they improved.

    It seems the only realistic way to reach the overall aim of financial self-sustainability. But, outside the boardroom, football has never judged success in the long run. Managers are judged on their most recent game and they often only want to talk about the next one.

    However, once safety is assured, another challenging summer lies ahead. The club will be searching for long-term returns while remaining strong enough to cope with the perils of the present.

    Who knows what will happen between now and the long run - as the four managers who have left Wolves since the club signed Silva could probably attest?

    Listen to full commentary of Wolves v West Ham United at 19:45 BST on Tuesday night on BBC Radio WM [DAB: Black Country]

    Tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights

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  12. Strand Larsen could be 'a genuine star for next season'published at 12:12 24 March

    Dazzling Dave
    Fan writer

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    Jorgen Strand Larsen celebrates Image source, Getty Images

    Jorgen Strand Larsen's debut season with Wolves has been a mixed bag, combining undeniable potential with frustrating inconsistency.

    Despite these challenges, the 23-year-old has shown he has the tools to become Wolves' leading number nine. His recent double against Southampton highlighted his quality, but consistency will be key if he is to push on for the remainder of this season and beyond.

    One of Strand Larsen's most intriguing stats is his efficiency in front of goal. He has scored nine Premier League goals this season, and while his total of 39 shots may seem modest compared to others in his position, he has an exceptional 69% shot accuracy - 27 of those efforts have been on target.

    This makes him the most accurate shooter in the entire league, a remarkable achievement for a first-year player. However, his relatively low shot volume suggests Wolves need to do better at creating chances to maximise his clinical edge.

    Strand Larsen has faced criticism for missing key chances, with nine big opportunities squandered this season. While this has understandably frustrated fans, it is worth noting that even the best strikers in the game miss their fair share of sitters.

    The real issue lies in the limited number of chances Strand Larsen is receiving. With fewer opportunities coming his way, every miss feels magnified.

    The team must play to Strand Larsen's strengths by delivering frequent crosses and providing quick service into the box. His aerial presence and positional awareness could be game-changing, especially in the absence of Matheus Cunha, which creates space for Larsen to shine at the focal point of the attack.

    Wolves' wingers and midfielders must rise to the occasion, ensuring their forward is not left isolated.

    If Strand Larsen can build on his efficiency and confidence, Wolves may have a genuine star for next season. With sharper support from the squad and continued development, he could cement himself as a prolific striker in the Premier League.

    Find more from Dazzling Dave at Always Wolves, external

  13. Q&A: Will Wolves progress or crumble next season?published at 17:08 21 March

    Mike Taylor
    BBC Radio WM reporter

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    Wolves players celebrateImage source, Getty Images

    BBC Radio WM's Mike Taylor has been taking your questions. You can find a host of his answers below and here's the final instalment.

    Nathan: Assuming Wolves stay up this season, what does next season look like? Progress and fighting for something or another stressful relegation battle?

    Mike answered: After what happened up until December, finishing 17th this season with a few points to spare might feel like success - and that feeling will be dangerous. Vitor Pereira will have succeeded in the job he was brought in to do, at least in the first place.

    There is good reason to think Wolves can do better next time, on the basis of their improved second half of this season, and rejoin the mid-table group: Crystal Palace, Everton and West Ham United.

    The danger of feeling satisfied with staying up is that you might start next season feeling over-confident of doing the same thing again.

    Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton have all turned out to be ill-equipped for the task of Premier League survival, but will their replacements be like that? Burnley have a much more resilient look compared to when they went down a year ago. Leeds should have the means to make an impact. Sheffield United should have learned from previous experiences. Sunderland would be strongly supported.

    This season's bottom three have given Wolves plenty of margin for error but next season's newcomers might not - so Wolves will need to make some good decisions this summer to prepare accordingly.

    Tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights

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  14. Q&A: Why are Fosun holding on to the club?published at 17:07 21 March

    Mike Taylor
    BBC Radio WM reporter

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    Jeff Shi Executive Chairman of WolvesImage source, Getty Images

    Our BBC Radio WM reporter Mike Taylor has been answering your questions surrounding Wolves' current ownership.

    Brian asked: Why are Fosun holding on to the club and risking relegation every season? Would they consider appointing an experienced director of football to allow Jeff Shi to run the business side?

    Mike answered: "We all want to win something - winning the league will require a lot of luck but winning trophies or getting into Europe is imaginable," said Jeff Shi to the Telegraph last autumn.

    It is imaginable but difficult, and appreciably more difficult in the context of the club's wish to be financially self-sustaining.

    There is nothing inherently wrong with wanting to be self-sustaining. Most other businesses - and one presumes most of the others in Fosun's business empire - are expected to do that.

    We might agree that football would be in a healthier place if all clubs agreed to be financially self-sustaining in the future, but dream on. Most, especially those challenging for the sort of honours Wolves aspire to, are not.

    If you want to sit at the high-rollers table, you better put some money down.

    In that environment, the path to achieving Shi's stated aims is narrower still. So what else, in Fosun's opinion, is Wolves for? Is it enough to merely occupy a space in the Premier League, as some sort of status symbol on their business empire and a brand to shift Wolves-branded products around the world? If so, fine.

    However tough some of the recent seasons have been, Wolves are still a top-flight club. For much of the 30 years before Fosun arrived, they weren't. Fosun are good at business but they have chosen a hard road that is difficult to turn off.

    Sell up now and it is hard to imagine they could recoup all of their investment. Fail to spend enough to stay in the Premier League and their asset will be worth far less.

    Prestige doesn't often come cheap.

    Sporting Director Matt Hobbs is essentially fulfilling the role you describe, though his standing with Wolves fans has dipped over the last year. Some of his decisions last summer aged badly in the first half of this season. But although they left it late in the mid-season transfer window, Wolves got it right.

    The manager identified the weaknesses and the club bought in players to address them, at what appears so far to be reasonable prices. That's how it's supposed to work.

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  15. Q&A: How is Wolves' summer shaping up?published at 13:47 21 March

    Mike Taylor
    BBC Radio WM reporter

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    Pedro Lima celebrates for WolvesImage source, Getty Images

    Over the course of Friday, we have been putting your questions to BBC Radio WM's Mike Taylor. In this part, we look at how Wolves' summer transfer window could play out.

    Matt asked: With Nelson Semedo out of contract in the summer, will Pedro Lima be given the chance to shine next season? He looks like he could be a top player. Also, where do Wolves need to strengthen in order to improve next season?

    Mike: First, they will miss Semedo if he leaves. His form has generally trended upwards over his time with Wolves and he is clearly a respected personality in the squad.

    Pedro Lima will still be only 19 when next season begins and I agree he has shown some potential on the few occasions we have seen him, but going into next season with him as first choice in that position would be a bold call. It may be that with Matt Doherty around there is enough cover there to give Lima a shot at it, although Vitor Pereira clearly identified Doherty as suited to the style he wants on either side of his back three.

    The future of Matheus Cunha holds the key to Wolves' squad for next season. Like almost every other club, finding another reliable goalscoring forward would surely be high on their list, and I imagine they will be in the market for a goalkeeper too.

    Jeremy asked: Do you think Pereira will be backed to strengthen the squad in the summer?

    Mike: He will need to be. He has earned a fair shot at it too - after correctly identifying the problems with the side, he identified and helped to fix them with well-judged mid-season signings.

    With no indication to date that Fosun will move away from its general policy of being financially self-sustaining, Wolves will probably need to sell to buy. They will need to make smart deals - and do so early if they can, difficult though that is.

    Pereira should be in quite a strong negotiating position with the club, as the man who averted danger - but Julen Lopetegui's frustration in similar circumstances two years ago became obvious very quickly, and Wolves were slow to respond.

    Let's imagine Wolves sell Cunha and one other, for example Rayan Ait-Nouri or Joao Gomes, that might give them the funds to invest in four or five mid-market signings. In the last window they shopped well in that bracket for Marshall Munetsi and Emmanuel Agbadou, so it can be done.