Summary
Major news has rocked Wolverhampton Wanderers fans with manager Julen Lopetegui departing the club.
Things may go from bad to worse as Dean Jones, when speaking with GIVEMESPORT has spoken on the mindset of the players at the club, saying that they do “not appear ready for a new season.”
What does Lopetegui’s departure mean for the Wolves players?
Julen Lopetegui has departed Molineux and the club have very quickly found his replacement. Former AFC Bournemouth boss Gary O’Neil is the man in question and one would think that this swift movement would be a sign of stability.
This may well be far from the truth though in what has already been a complex summer.
Atletico Madrid loanee Matheus Cunha saw his deal made permanent for a sizable fee, somewhere in the region of £43 million. This has been massively offset by the high-profile sale of Ruben Neves, the midfielder who was perennially linked with a major European move and yet he has ended up, alongside many other players, opting to ply his trade in Saudi Arabia.
Defender Nathan Collins also moved on from Wolves with Brentford as his destination, the Bees breaking their transfer record at roughly £23 million for the Irishman.
Players have come and players have gone and if what Jones’ says below is to be believed, then a number of others in black and gold will be considering where their futures lie too.
What has Dean Jones got to say on the developments at Wolves?
“After the good work of last season, this should have been an exciting moment, but the financial restrictions are just taking their toll.
“While the focus was on the manager, it also extends to the playing squad, where I have been told a couple of players are wondering what the knock-on effect will be. I think they would have preferred this was not such a public fallout as they don’t want to hear about concerns over Financial Fair Play.
“Players have to remain focused on playing matters in a time like this, but if there’s a real chance your manager is about to give up on the project because it does not meet the standards he thought he would be able to work at, then it’s worrying. The team does not appear ready for a new season, and the next few days will be interesting.”
Potential transfer business for Wolves?
Wolves will kick off their new season with a trip to Old Trafford in just a matter of days and yet, there could still be comings and goings before this face-off against Manchester United.
One player worth noting is actually no longer employed by the West Midlands side, in the form of Adama Traore. The winger-come-fullback’s deal at Molineux expired at the beginning of July and a number of European clubs are pursuing him. A trio of those play their football in the Serie A: Napoli, Roma and AC Milan as per Sport.es.
Birmingham Live are reporting that Wolves are keeping tabs on West Ham United forward Michail Antonio. This is particularly fascinating when the saga of another Hammer is considered- Aaron Cresswell has been on the brink of a move to Wolverhampton a number of times and it could still be on the cards.