Wolverhampton Wanderers

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BBC Sport's TV and radio commentators have picked two Wolves players who will be worth watching in the next few months.

Emmanuel Agbadou

Age: 28 Position: Centre-back Country: Ivory Coast

Tom Gayle: Emmanuel Agbadou was one of the Premier League's best signings during the January transfer window. Wolves had to strengthen defensively and, in the Ivorian, they managed to more than fulfil the need for a top-quality centre-half.

Agbadou's reading of the game and positioning, combined with a heavyweight boxer build and the athleticism of a gymnast, made him one of the league's toughest opponents in a one-v-one situation.

What also stood out was his confidence. Inside his own box, he can happily receive the ball and turn while under pressure, spraying long-range passes, and driving past the halfway line. This nonchalant style helped enable Pereira's side to play more aggressively over the second half of the campaign.

His transition to the English top flight is a sharp poke in the eye to anyone who continues to view Ligue 1 as a 'Farmer's League'.

I'm convinced the Agbadou fan club will only grow bigger this season, especially if he continues taking goal-kicks, helping conjure 'proper Sunday league' vibes.

Jhon Arias

Age: 27 Position: Winger or attacking midfielder Country: Colombia

Conor McNamara: I was in the United States for the Club World Cup and Jhon Arias was one of the standout players of the tournament as he played his final games for his old club Fluminense, picking up three player-of-the-match awards.

He is 27, so should be at his peak, old enough to not be overawed by the Premier League stage.

The Colombian will take the number 10 shirt vacated by Matheus Cunha. He scored his first goal in Wolves' colours in a recent friendly against Girona, showing excellent dribbling skills to run deep into the penalty area before shooting from close range.

Arias is my top tip of this summer's new signings to be a big hit.

Read the full piece here

BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty has offered up his annual predictions:

18) Wolves

Last season: 16th

This prediction is made with a heavy heart and hint of surprise given how the charismatic Vitor Pereira revived Wolves last season, but there have been some damaging departures and not enough quality incomings.

The class of Rayan Ait-Nouri and Matheus Cunha was integral to Wolves last season and that is a heavy double loss to Manchester City and Manchester United respectively.

Jhon Arias - the Colombian signed from Fluminense for £15m - takes Cunha's number 10 shirt but will he have the same impact?

Fer Lopez - signed from Celta Vigo - is a youngster of promise.

Wolves could still pull this pessimistic prediction around, but it will be need a busy few weeks in the transfer market.

Read the full piece

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Former Wolves manager Mick McCarthy has been reflecting on how he managed to get the club promoted in 2009.

Wolves almost went up in the 2006-07 season but agonisingly lost 4-2 on aggregate to fierce rivals West Bromwich Albion in the Championship play-off semi-finals.

They were in the mix for the play-offs the following season too, only to miss out on sixth place by a goal difference of one.

Speaking to BBC Radio WM, McCarthy explained how he managed to rejuvenate the dressing room, but recalled how he had not been supremely confident when he first arrived at the club.

"You may remember my quote at the time," he said. "I said that MM stands for Mick McCarthy - not Merlin the Magician!

"You take the club on but it was Wolves, for goodness sake. Then it was my job to deal with the players."

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In that promotion campaign of 2008-09, McCarthy suggested some of the players he was able to acquire - along with his own positive attitude - made a stirring difference in the dressing room.

"You have to lift yourself up first - you have to come back in ready for it," McCarthy said. "The players have to see that you have come back in energised.

"That third season when we won promotion, we won seven on the bounce.

"The players were young and hungry. Christophe Berra was a huge signing for us as was a wonderful centre-forward from Plymouth, who got all the goals. Sylvan Ebanks-Blake was amazing!"

Listen on BBC Sounds

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The draw for the second round of the Carabao Cup has been made.

The EFL Cup remains regionalised in the early rounds, with the draw split into Northern and Southern sections until round three.

Here are the ties involving Premier League clubs:

Northern section

Sheffield Wednesday v Leeds United

Burnley v Derby County

Everton v Mansfield Town

Grimsby Town v Manchester United

Sunderland v Huddersfield Town

Southern section

Bournemouth v Brentford

Fulham v Bristol City

Oxford United v Brighton

Wolves v West Ham United

The 23 second-round ties will take place during the week beginning 25 August.

See the full draw over here

Have you got a question about Wolves or is there a topic you want more information on? Have you spotted a theme or trend that needs further investigation?

Well, this season we're making it easier for you to get in touch and ask - and we will do our best to use our expertise here at BBC Sport to give you direct answers.

Our team can call upon a network of contacts - including our reporters, pundits and other experts - to find out everything you need to know.

No question is too big or too small, so fire away using the link below and we will answer the best of them throughout the campaign.

Ask about Wolves here

And find out more about BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything service here

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Wolves star Fer Lopez credits a unique spell in Suffolk for helping him mature.

The attacker spent three months in England in 2018 before returning this summer after Wolves spent £19m to sign him from Celta Vigo.

Lopez was sent to Finborough School by his parents when he was 14 years old to help develop his English.

While in England he trained with Norwich and also with the senior side Bacton United '89 - who play in the Suffolk and Ipswich League - before returning to Celta's academy.

He made his senior breakthrough last season, making 20 appearances, and his performances convinced Wolves to bring him back to England.

"It was quite unique," he told BBC Sport before Saturday's Premier League opener against Manchester City at Molineux.

"Norwich was quite far from the school so I did one month there and then went to train with Bacton. I couldn't play because I was in Celta's academy - and I also trained with the school's coach after school.

"The pitch wasn't that bad and playing with grown men helps you improve other abilities.

"It had a lot of importance [to me], more personal because it was difficult experience at first as I was without my family at 14, but it helped me grow as a person."

He remains in touch with Paul Grainger, who coached him at Finborough, and feels the guidance he received has paid off.

"We speak and he watches all my games," said the 21-year-old. "We talk all the time about football, players and games. He helped me a lot when I was in England. I felt quite alone and he helped me improve, football-wise, after school.

"If he sees me and I haven't played well, he tells me that. I don't like people who always tell me I'm very good and don't tell me the reality - that doesn't give you anything.

"If they just tell you, 'you're very good', you don't improve. I don't like to be around those type of people."

Borussia Dortmund have walked away from a deal for Fabio Silva after Wolves increased their asking price for the forward. (Teamtalk), external

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Dazzling Dave
Fan writer

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Wolves' pre-season performances have been concerning. The team looks disjointed at the back and lacks energy and ideas going forward.

In short, we look miles off the pace. There is some hope with more new signings expected, but that brings its own concerns.

If those players take time to adapt, Wolves could be left playing catch-up once the season starts.

The loss of key players - Matheus Cunha, Rayan Ait-Nouri, Nelson Semedo, and Pablo Sarabia - has hit the team hard. Cunha and Ait-Nouri alone contributed 32 of last seasons 54 goals and assists.

Replacing that output is no easy task and from what I have seen in pre-season, we just don't look like scoring.

So far, the only new players are Fer Lopez, Jhon Arias and David Moller Wolfe.

Arias looks like a solid and quality signing - he has already opened his account and could be a strong replacement for Cunha. Lopez has shown promise as well. We haven't seen enough of Wolfe yet to judge his impact.

But the biggest worry remains at wing-back. Both right-back and left-back are clear weak spots and crucial for the style Vitor Pereira likes to play. Quality additions in this area are crucial for any chance of success this season.

Squad depth is another concern. If Joao Gomes or Andre get injured, Wolves have almost no back-up. Up top, Jorgen Strand Larsen has no clear deputy except Sasa Kalajdzic, who is just back from a long-term injury and could be sent out on loan.

This leaves the team exposed if key players are sidelined.

Wolves still need at least three or four quality signings. Fosun says it has recognised the importance of rebuilding the squad this summer, but progress has been slow. The next few weeks are critical.

If Pereira is not given a stronger squad, Wolves could face another fight to avoid relegation.

There is little room for error. Wolves are rolling the dice and fans wait to see where it will land.

Find more from Dazzling Dave at Always Wolves, external

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We asked for your views on whether Wolves are ready for the new season as they prepare to start at home to Manchester City on Saturday.

Here are some of your comments:

David: Wolves have been lacklustre, disorganised and creativity-free in all of their hardly challenging friendlies. There is little sign of a team capable of finishing outside the bottom third of the Premier League.

Baz: Unless the sold players are replaced with established, proven ones, I fear the worst. If the pre-season games are any reflection of current squad quality, they will be in a survival battle and yet another decent manager will go because of the lack of support. He will be in demand.

Allen: No! Very poor pre-season - they are not adaptable enough, they can't change from a rigid, five-at-the-back system to counter the opposition and so get overrun in midfield. Yes, fans want more incomings but we need desperately to be able to change our playing style within a match to outplay the opposition. Clearly the loss of Semedo, Ait-Nouri and Cunha place Wolves in an unenviable place this season.

Tod: Light years away from "ready". Embarrassing transfer policy under which we sell some of our best players each year then look around desperately for (inadequate) replacements at the last minute, as if the sales were wholly unexpected. Two points from first 10 games if we're lucky, and manager will have walked out by Christmas. What a complete, recurring fiasco. Get your money on relegation.

Gary: We look OK - if the season was still five weeks away. We just seem to be lacking in all areas of the pitch. We played like it was an end-of-season testimonial. Let's hope there's three terrible teams in the league this season, as that is the only way I can see us not being in the bottom three. Time for Jeff to put his hands in his very deep pockets.

Pre-season is completed and the countdown to the 2025-26 season is on.

It's been a quiet summer at Wolves with three arrivals and six departures.

Wolves start the season at home to Manchester City on Saturday - but are they ready?

Get in touch

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Wolves finished their pre-season friendlies with a 1-0 defeat by Celta Vigo at Molineux on Saturday.

Pablo Duran's volley just before the hour mark was enough to secure the win for the La Liga side.

Before the match, Wolves honoured former player Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva in the club's first home match since they both tragically died in a car accident earlier this summer.

You have been sharing your stories and photos about why you love Wolves.

Here is a final selection of your submissions, but do make sure you scroll down this page to see all the best responses from throughout the week:

Stuart: Imagine as an eight-year-old Wolves fan and Wayne Clarke moves into your street. The kids hanging out at the end of his drive, Wolves annuals and copies of Match Weekly in hand ready to sign. Through the highs and many lows of our illustrious club, the support never fades. Wolves is like Bagpuss - ragged at the seams but we love it. It's OUR club. Once a Wolf always a Wolf!

Toni: I grew up in west London. I was four, my brother was six, and we needed PE kit for school. My mother marched us down Portobello Road and into a shop that sold school uniforms... I came out with a Wolves shirt (black round collar) and my brother with an Arsenal shirt. That was it for both of us. I still support the Wolves nearly 60 years later.

Coventry City want £15m for their Dutch right-back Milan van Ewijk. Wolves and Wolfsburg are among the clubs keen on signing the 24-year-old. (Coventry Telegraph)

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

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

This week, we are asking you to share your stories and photos for why you fell in love with Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Here is a selection of your submissions:

Derek: When I was seven we were in the playground at school and I was asked who I supported. This was in 1953. I had no idea - there was no football on television and I didn't know any teams. Then I saw a photo of Wolves and they have obviously got the best kit and a great name. I've supported them ever since, even during the dark days when they were in the Fourth Division. You hear stories about people changing their team, but they aren't real football fans. A team is for life - as Wolves is for me.

Jennie: My father took me when I was able to stand in the kids' enclosure. There weren't many girls so I always got to the front. I had five brothers but none of them liked football. We went on the coach to Molineux with crisps and bottle pop. I was transfixed by the players and crowd reaction and it's the best memory I have of my dad, who died when I was 11 in 1974. I am a Wolves fan through and through and so grateful to have shared that with my dad.

Send us your pictures and stories here

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Wolves will pay tribute to Diogo Jota and brother Andre Silva before Saturday's pre-season friendly against Celta Vigo at Molineux.

A minute's silence will be observed before kick-off and floral wreaths laid by senior members of the club.

Wolves' first game of the season, at home to Manchester City on 16 August, is the dedicated match of remembrance and will feature a fan mosaic, a minute's applause and a rendition of Jota's favourite song, Sting's Fields Of Gold.

A commemorative 100-page programme will also be produced for the fixture.

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Danielle Sarver Coombs

When it comes to our love for a football club, the answer to why we do lies in "both psychological and societal" reasons.

In the first part of her chat with BBC Sport, researcher and co-writer of the Routledge Handbook of Sport Fans and Fandom Danielle Sarver Coombs spoke about the part that identity and tradition play.

And yet when we are caught up in the emotions of a tough defeat or nerves of an important match, we can often ask why we put ourselves through it.

"There are psychological processes at work and physiological ones in terms of how we respond and engage," Sarver Coombs said.

"An example that I always give is when I take the train to work, I go past Arsenal's stadium and I feel literally nothing other than: 'Oh, that's a big building'. Whereas on a train to Manchester, I went by Villa Park and my heart started pounding. I got all excited and was trying to take pictures out the window.

"I had a visceral reaction to this place. We can't pretend we don't have that sort of physical reaction because we do.

"When someone is talking about a controversial decision and I feel myself getting wound up, even though I intellectually know that I can't control it and that it's just a game, my body doesn't know that.

"My gut doesn't know that and so I have this really emotional response and we can't control that."

A 2023 book titled 'Football on the brain: why minds love sport, external' suggests it comes down to 'an understandable and logical consequence of the human mind's natural inclination to find meaning through beliefs... It's a religion as far as the brain is concerned'.

But it not just about what is going on inside the mind but outside influences too.

"There is a sociological element to it because the community part is such a huge driver and benefit for us," Sarver Coombs explains.

"Sociologically, we are driven to be part of communities. We are driven to find our groups that we can be members of. Sport provides a way to do that - this sense that I was chosen to be part of this community and it's something bigger than I am."

As the game expands, unrest among supporters seems to be increasing, but how does that impact this ingrained love for a club?

"You always go through these cycles when the game is changing," Sarver Coombs said.

"Despite all the changes, the traditions remain so strong and it's such a huge draw that it becomes really hard to actually separate yourself from it. Even if you do, it tends to be a short-term separation. You get sucked back in because something happens.

"People don't want that change, but then we adapt to it and continue moving forward."

Browse this page to see lots of fan stories for how you fell in love with your club.

And check out those from other Premier League teams over here

This week, we are asking you to share your stories and photos for why you fell in love with Wolves.

Here is a selection of your submissions:

Jennie: My father took me when I was able to stand in the kids enclosure. There weren't many girls so I always got to the front. I had five brothers but none liked football. We went on the coach to Molineux with crisps and a bottle of pop. I was transfixed by the players and crowd reaction and it's the best memory I have of my dad, who died when I was 11 in 1974. I am a Wolves fan through and through and so grateful to have shared that with my dad. Derek Dougan, Kenny Hibbitt and John Richards were my era.

Send us your pictures and stories here

Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter

It was revealed by Wolves a few weeks ago that 94% of season tickets at Molineux were renewed for the 2025-26 season, which means I'll expect to be seeing many of the same faces near the press box when I turn up to cover home games.

Sometimes you can spot the families, and the different generations - parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren. Some stop to talk, at times to share a grumble, but others are defiantly optimistic: "We'll be all right if we win this one!".

Like all communities, there are inevitable changes over time. A group of ladies, obviously friends for decades, used to gather in one corner of the concourse close to the press box, clutching hot drinks. Last season, the group was down to one but she was there early every time, with her coffee cup, cheerfully confident that Wolves would win.

Football clubs rise and fall with their results, week to week and decade to decade, and ultimately that status dictates how they are judged from outside. The game, and the Premier League especially, now has a worldwide audience so there are many who faithfully follow Wolves from thousands of miles away who might never have been to Molineux, or even to England, and never will.

Their form of fandom is entirely valid, and increasingly relevant for the viability of the modern game. The Premier League would be much smaller without it.

But, looking and listening on the concourses, you are reminded that football clubs are so much more than scores and numbers. They are a community, drawn apparently at random from all classes and generations, united by one devotion. Like all relationships, it goes through times of strain - and faith can be tested - but the love remains. And when it matters most, at times of real trouble and personal loss, that community finds strength together.

A lady sometimes emails me during games at Molineux to tell me she is listening to find out whether her husband and son, both season-ticket holders, will be in a good mood when they get home. I'm sure there were some quiet evenings in their house last season.

But, I'm also sure they will be in the 94%, always hoping the result will send them home happy, but really there because it's Wolves - and that's where they belong.

Join the conversation and tell your story about why you love Wolves

Opta's Supercomputer has once again predicted the upcoming 2025-26 Premier League season by using a model to simulate every match 10,000 times.

Image source, Opta

After only happening once in Premier League history beforehand, and not since 1997-98, all three promoted teams have gone straight back down in each of the past two seasons.

Unsurprisingly then, Leeds, Burnley and Sunderland are ranked as the likeliest trio to be relegated by the Supercomputer's model next year - with the Black Cats the only team notto win the title in any of the supercomputer's 10,000 simulations.

Championship play-off winners Sunderland are also relegated the most often of all 20 teams, going down in 66.4% of simulations.

Their fellow Premier League newboys are actually deemed to survive slightly more often than not, with Daniel Farke's side going down in 48.1% of sims, while Scott Parker's Clarets doing so in 45.9%.

As for Wolves, they had a dismal start to last season but improved significantly once Vitor Pereira arrived. Losing Matheus Cunha is a big blow however, and the Old Gold are fourth favourites to go down according to the supercomputer - doing so in 26.4% of sims.

Similarly, Graham Potter's West Ham have sold a key player this summer after Mohammed Kudus switched to Tottenham.

Potter will back himself to get a better tune out of his side after his first pre-season with them, but West Ham are still relegated in 22% of simulations.

Read Opta's full Supercomputer breakdown here, external

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Wolves are in talks with Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund over the sale of striker Fabio Silva.

The 23-year-old is surplus to requirements at Molineux, with Wolves looking for over £17m.

Silva has not played for the club since November 2023 and was training away from the squad before joining Las Palmas on loan last season.

He scored 10 goals in 26 games in Spain and has also had loan spells at PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands, Belgian side Anderlecht and Scottish giants Rangers.

Silva was Wolves' record signing at the time when he arrived from Porto in a deal worth £35m in 2020 but has scored just five goals in 72 appearances.