Lens reject two bids for Dansopublished at 09:34 GMT 28 January
09:34 GMT 28 January
Nick Mashiter BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Wolves have had two bids rejected for Lens defender Kevin Danso.
The Premier League strugglers have reignited their interest in the 26-year-old having initially opted to sign Emmanuel Agbadou from Reims ahead of him earlier this month.
One of Wolves' offers was 22m euros (£18.44m) and the clubs remain in talks.
Personal terms are not expected to be an issue with the Austria international.
Wolves changed their minds on moving for Danso - after Agbadou's £16.6m move - having accepted they needed more defensive reinforcements after slipping back into the Premier League's relegation zone at the weekend.
Wolves have conceded 52 goals in the Premier League this season, only Southampton - 53 - have shipped more.
Danso has been tracked for a while and the club's interest pre-dates Vitor Pereira's arrival, after he replaced Gary O'Neil last month.
The centre-back who was in the academies at MK Dons and Reading, also spent time on loan at Southampton in 2019-20 and joined Lens from Augsburg in 2021.
'Words are one thing - actions another'published at 14:20 GMT 27 January
14:20 GMT 27 January
George Lakin Fan writer
Image source, Getty Images
"Back the team or sell the club."
The words that echoed around Molineux on Saturday could not have been clearer and Guo Guangchang, chief of Wolves' illustrious owners, Fosun International, was in attendance.
It is a clear message that speaks to the frustrations that have existed long before this season's debacle.
Now, it seems, things are coming to a head.
Just a week prior to sacking Gary O'Neil, the powers that be at Wolves made an astonishing admission. They declared the blame was not entirely his and expressed a commitment to providing O'Neil with the support necessary to improve results.
A 2-1 reversal against Ipswich quickly put paid to all that. And with the swift arrival of Vitor Pereira, there was the expectation Wolves would 'go early' in the January window.
Yet here we find ourselves, in the last knockings, and only Emmanuel Agbadou to show for it. Admittedly, he looks good, but he alone is not enough.
Worse still is that the noisiest rumours are potential departures, including talismanic Matheus Cunha, whose performances have been concerningly uninspired of late. Why is that? He may well be asking himself if there is any place for ambition at this club. If the answer is no - cue apathy. It is no excuse, but he would not be the first.
Wolves under Fosun have history when it comes to ambition (or lack of). Words are one thing, actions another. The current stagnation harks back to the frustrations of Nuno Espirito Santo, Bruno Lage and Julen Lopetegui respectively. All wanted more, all wanted this club to progress and show ambition. All were ultimately sent packing.
It seems the current regime at Wolves may believe success is not climbing the table and genuine footballing progress, but in surviving and continuing to enjoy a seat at sport's biggest table with as little outlay as possible.
It is a dangerous game - leaving just enough blood in the club to detect a pulse, yet 'survival by default' may still come to their aid. As it stands, just 28 points would be enough to secure 17th place (based on current points per game averages.) Even so, without a change in strategy, Wolves will inevitably find themselves in the same position again. Hopelessly dredging, with fans disinclined to dream.
Living in the doldrums in perpetuity is no way to exist. Football is supposed to provide respite from daily life.
When you own a football club, you own the heart and soul of a community.
Paul: Still the same issues as we've had for many seasons. Too easy to score against and we aren't clinical enough when it matters. We had enough chances in the last three games against Arsenal, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest but we lost all of them. I thought we looked far more compact against Arsenal though.
Mark: Played a decent game but desperately need more quality to compete at this level. No creativity in midfield and not enough movement up top. Defended reasonably well - thought Emmanuel Agbadou was excellent. Owners were present and, like the fans, I hope that they can acknowledge that investment is needed - now!
Mike: Some really encouraging signs today. Very competitive in midfield, particularly in the first half. That's more than can be said for the two strikers. Superb display and really commanding performance by Agbadou. Another centre-back with his physical presence would be money well spent. Our subs don't have any real impact apart from Rodrigo Gomes and he looks like our new Neto. Our goalkeeper is still a big issue whoever wears the shirt. However, the support was a big plus, and we're going to need that now until the end of the season.
Dan: Poor showing with relegation written all over it. As normal, there is no backing from the board - two thirds of the way through the window and one first-team signing just isn't good enough.
Arsenal fans
Dave: Excellent game management from Arsenal and a very good three points. Some very good performances there and the team should be proud. Riccardo Calafiori scored an excellent goal and did very well on the left. It was nice to see Ethan Nwaneri start - shame he came off at half time although it was understandable. Declan Rice was excellent everywhere. Gabriel and William Saliba were brilliant in defence, and Thomas Partey was solid in midfield. I feel sorry for Myles Lewis-Skelly but he'll bounce back in his next game.
Guy: Not a vintage Arsenal performance. Would've been 3-2 on a different day and if both teams were more clinical. I think both sendings off were fair. Rice seems to be going forward a little more often which is great to see.
Stuart: Surely nobody in football can say that Lewis-Skelley's tackle deserved a red for serious foul play? Barely a yellow. And no word of the Wolves player's second yellow which was a more serious one but only got a second yellow.
Peter: Arsenal were once known as lucky Arsenal. Even though they won this one, they don't seem to be having much luck any more. Jurrien Timber was man of the match.
'We did everything to win the game' - Pereirapublished at 18:18 GMT 25 January
18:18 GMT 25 January
Image source, Getty Images
Wolves boss Vitor Pereira, speaking to BBC's Match of the Day: "At the end of the game, I tell you we lost a big chance to win this match because we play a very good game. In my opinion, we played a very good game.
"Tactically, commitment, energy, we did everything to win the game. What [we] missed was to score one goal. We had two chances before they scored, we have two clear chances to score the first goal. After the yellow card for Joao, they score one goal and we didn't."
On Joao Gomes' red card: "Yes, but look Joao gave a lot to us. He's a player that in every match, gives 100% from himself. We talked at half-time and he said to me 'coach, emotionally I'm balanced, I'm okay, I will control myself. Don't worry, don't worry.' In the end, it is football'.
"The problem, we must say, [is] we need solutions for the midfield. We need solutions, we need to have more players with the skills to play with two in the middle. I think [in] the next days, we have to bring another midfielder because we need it."
Sutton's predictions: Wolves v Arsenalpublished at 11:19 GMT 25 January
11:19 GMT 25 January
I see Wolves manager Vitor Pereira dug out Matheus Cunha for his body language after Monday's defeat by Chelsea.
I am not sure how smart a move that is, considering Cunha has scored almost a third of their 32 Premier League goals this season.
Maybe it will work and inspire Cunha - but there is always the risk of losing a player when you criticise him like that.
Mind you, I am not sure about Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta's attempts to galvanise his players either.
The Gunners have been playing Brazilian Samba music during training sessions, external this week, to 'build energy' according to Arteta.
He has some wild ideas, including getting pickpockets to steal valuables from his players, external during a squad meal at the start of the season.
I dread to think how it would have gone down if, say, Martin O'Neill had started playing any sort of music, Brazilian or otherwise, during training when I was with Celtic.
I think the minute his back was turned, the players would have been making all sorts of gestures. We would have just found it funny - maybe it is a generational thing.
As for the pickpockets? If some of my old team-mates found someone trying to nick their wallets then they might have ended up having a scrap with them. Imagine if that one went wrong!?
Still, maybe I am just being an old misery for mocking things like this. Arteta is thinking outside the box and trying something different - if he wins this game, like he did against Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday, then I guess it has worked.
Arsenal slipped up badly against Aston Villa last weekend, letting them back in it from 2-0 up, but I don't see them having any problems here.
Pereira on Cunha's future, Lemina and finding 'fighters'published at 14:35 GMT 24 January
14:35 GMT 24 January
Joe Bradshaw BBC Sport Senior Journalist
Wolves boss Vitor Pereira has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Arsenal at Molineux (kick-off 17:30 GMT).
Here are the key lines from his news conference:
Pereira could not confirm if there had been any bids for striker Matheus Cunha: "I don't know. That is a question for the club. He is my player – I think he is not for sale. This is the information from the club."
However, he did say he had spoken with Cunha after criticising his captain for his performance against Chelsea on Monday: "He knows what I want from him as a captain. We had a conversation and everything is sorted. He is ready for the game, committed to us and ready to help the team. What we need from him is that he plays at his high level. He is very important."
Previous captain Mario Lemina will not be involved against Arsenal but could still stay at Molineux beyond January: "I am waiting for the end of the market and we will decide what we do. If he stays here, he will be a very good player for us. He has lots of quality."
Centre-back Toti Gomes should be available to boost Pereira's options.
Pereira wants to return to the form that saw Wolves take seven points from his first three games in charge: "I believe in my players and our work. We are facing strong teams but we are still together, still believing and ready to play at our best level."
Therefore, he hopes to put the defeat at Stamford Bridge behind him: "The last game was not good because we changed a lot of behaviours and that is not what I want. I want us to have identity and to play in our way – not to react to the other team."
On how he works with different personalities to get the best out of them: "This is my job. I need to pass the confidence and hunger to them - to understand the fire in their eyes. Football is about people and we need to create good energy together with our supporters to be at our best."
He also accepted this process takes time but is actually easier to do when in a difficult spell of results: "You can know about a person in bad moments. I'm trying to understand who are the fighters - the leaders - while in the middle of the storm."
On title-chasing Arsenal: "Arsenal are a strong team but we need to worry about ourselves."
Wolves v Arsenal: Did you know?published at 11:41 GMT 24 January
11:41 GMT 24 January
Image source, Getty Images
Arsenal have scored in their past 34 meetings with Wolves, since a 1-0 home loss in February 1979. It is both the Gunners' longest scoring streak against an opponent, and Wolves' longest run without a clean sheet against a side.
Efficient or ineffective?published at 08:05 GMT 24 January
08:05 GMT 24 January
This Premier League pursuit becomes a lot easier if you take your chances.
BBC Sport has checked in on some data comparing goals versus expected goals this season.
You can see from the bar graph some teams aren't finding the goals (yellow) to outstrip the expected goals they should score (black).
Tottenham, Manchester City, Arsenal, Brentford, Newcastle, Brighton, Fulham, Nottingham Forest, Wolves and Leicester have all scored more than expected.
Wolves in particular have found the net 32 times from an expected 23.56 - a significant overperformance.
League leaders Liverpool are pretty much bang on in returning what they should, while Arsenal have outperformed, with 43 goals from an expected 37.78.
Bournemouth - 36 goals from an expected 43 - are leaving opportunities on the table.
Gossip: Cundle wanted by Championship clubspublished at 06:55 GMT 24 January
06:55 GMT 24 January
Wolves have rejected an opening offer from Millwall for midfielder Luke Cundle, who is also wanted by Swansea City and Bristol City. (Express and Star), external
Gossip: Forest line up club-record Cunha bidpublished at 07:15 GMT 23 January
07:15 GMT 23 January
Nottingham Forest are preparing a club-record bid, possibly in the region of £60m, to try lure Brazil forward Matheus Cunha, 25, away from Wolves. (Sky Sports, external)
Wolves relaxed over Cunha futurepublished at 19:59 GMT 22 January
19:59 GMT 22 January
Nick Mashiter BBC Sport football news reporter
Image source, Getty Images
Striker Matheus Cunha is expected to stay at Wolves this season, despite intense speculation over his future.
The Premier League strugglers have not received any offer or had any contact for the 10-goal forward, despite reported interest from Nottingham Forest and Arsenal.
Sources have told BBC Sport that Wolves are relaxed about the 25-year-old's future while he has two and a half years left on his contract.
Discussions about a new deal are ongoing.
Cunha has 26 goals in 78 appearances for Wolves since joining, initially on loan, from Atletico Madrid two years ago - before a club record £44m transfer.
He is Wolves' top scorer this season with Vitor Pereira's side 17th in the Premier League going into Saturday's visit of Arsenal to Molineux.
'Keep smiling, Rodrigo...'published at 19:09 GMT 22 January
19:09 GMT 22 January
Mike Taylor BBC Radio WM reporter
Image source, Getty Images
"Rodrigo is a fighter," said Vitor Pereira recently, identifying one of the two traits that might make his young winger Rodrigo Gomes a good person to have around for the rest of this season, quite apart from his footballing ability.
The other is that he smiles a lot. I found this out when interviewing him after he had scored his first Premier League goal, in Pereira's first game at Leicester just before Christmas.
Looking at him, you would have thought it already was Christmas, as he beamed and bubbled about his day. On the field, he had celebrated what had been quite a slapstick goal as if it had been a 30-yard screamer in the last minute of a cup final.
Perhaps one day we will find out how he will react if he does score a 30-yard screamer in the last minute of a cup final. I can't imagine, but it will be fun finding out.
This is worth mentioning because a sense of sullenness has descended on Wolves again over the past week or so, after the initial jab of positivity from Pereira's arrival.
It was always possible that this section of the fixture list would drag down spirits. Wolves have faced three teams in a row that are competing for European places next season, and conceded three goals to each of them.
The next few games are likely to be just as hard and, to make things worse, senior players until recently considered the brightest lights at the club - the captain and the best player - are at the centre of controversies that might ultimately result in both leaving.
However those unwanted dramas play out, Wolves will need everyone who remains to share the load, and keep their heads up.
Gomes is one of those who offers hope of this. With gifts of speed and energy, he caught the eye in pre-season, but faded in the autumn, perhaps considered a little too raw to be risked in a perilous situation.
But it may be just that uncomplicated freshness that Wolves will need to show a way forward.
Gomes' goal in the FA Cup tie at Bristol City - a far slicker job than the one at Leicester - was a good sign that he is learning to fit in to Pereira's design.
He, and other young players emerging into the harsh light on Wolves at the moment, will learn a lot in the next few months whatever happens, but some natural, bouncy optimism will serve him well.
