Wolves facing a defining January transfer window crossroads
Wolverhampton Wanderers finally gave their supporters something to cheer about at the tail end of 2025, as Rob Edwards’ struggling side produced a gutsy display to earn a surprise 1-1 draw away at Manchester United. It was only their third point of the entire 2025/26 Premier League campaign, but the performance at Old Trafford briefly eased the growing sense of gloom around Molineux.
Despite that lift, the league table paints a grim picture. Wolves are currently marooned near the foot of the standings, sitting a staggering 15 points from safety. With relegation to the Championship appearing almost inevitable, the club’s hierarchy face a crucial decision ahead of the January transfer window.
Do Wolves accept the situation and conserve resources for a rebuild next season, or do they take a gamble by heavily investing in the squad now in a desperate attempt to close the gap and keep survival hopes alive? To explore how that dilemma might play out, a January transfer window simulation was run using Football Manager 26 to predict the club’s potential business.
Predicted January arrivals at Molineux
Any uncertainty over Wolves’ approach was quickly erased by a major early signing. The club splashed out £20 million to secure Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil, moving swiftly to land the highly-rated youngster outright rather than pursuing a loan move. That statement signing set the tone for an aggressive window and was made possible by a major sale later in the month.
Wolves then added experience on the wing by snapping up Bayer Leverkusen’s Jonas Hofmann for just £1.7 million. The 32-year-old may be nearing the latter stages of his career, but his Bundesliga pedigree is unquestionable, with over two decades of top-flight experience and 23 caps for the German national team.
Attacking reinforcements followed with the arrival of Brazilian forward Rony in a £6 million deal. Known for his consistent goal output in Brazil’s top division, the striker has recorded double figures in each of the last six seasons, including an impressive 23-goal haul for Palmeiras in 2022.
The late stages of the window saw Wolves double down on strengthening their forward line. Austrian striker Leon Grgic joined from Sturm Graz for £8.5 million, while Southampton prospect Baylee Dipepa arrived alongside Cardiff City attacker Cian Ashcroft, for fees of £5 million and £7 million respectively.
Key departures during the window
As expected, Wolves balanced their spending with several notable exits. The biggest departure was midfielder Andre, who completed a blockbuster £59 million move to Borussia Dortmund, providing the funds that underpinned much of Wolves’ January recruitment.
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde also left Molineux, joining promotion-chasing Middlesbrough in the Championship for £9 million. Meanwhile, centre-back Nigel Lonwijk finally secured a permanent move away, with Luton Town paying £2 million after deciding to make his loan spell a full transfer.
In the closing days of the window, Wolves added one final sale to their books. Goalkeeper Sam Johnstone departed for Serie A outfit Cremonese in a £1 million deal, linking up with former England teammate Jamie Vardy in Italy.
This simulated window suggests Wolves would choose to fight rather than fold — sacrificing a key asset while reshaping their squad in the hope of salvaging pride, momentum, or even a miracle escape.
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