The Summer 2025 Transfer Window Thread

[basher]

Not really... but I did expect something from the man in charge but there was nothing... just sat in the dugout for how long was it? 10 minutes or more?? Just nothing...

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Loathe to defend the club, but surely our new CF was just needed in the abstract and our failure to sign Uche means that’s the remaining gap as an attacking CM? Obviously I’m concerned that we won’t be able to bring the required quality in there given everything. And concerned about the quality of those we have signed. And everything else.

A new CF was needed as back up. Spending £24m on a back up makes little sense so I suspect he’ll start alongside JSL and that means we completely change our formation. If he starts and we stick with 3CH only one of Arias, Lopez and the potential new midfielder will start.

 

[YoungWolf]

Saying Vítor has lost the plot is grossly unfair at this stage. What are we actually expecting from him here? Fosun have given him a squad with bottom 3 wages, brought most of their signings in late in the window and he's had injuries and suspensions to key players already. Is now really the time to be throwing nonsense like that around?

Are we genuinely surprised that he's decided that he needs to go with more physical players? More experience? More runners? It's what every manager faced with his situation has done since the dawn of time (apart from Russell Martin). But no. We've lost a few games and people are upset so the manager has lost his mind.

There was absolutely zero plan on Saturday. That first half particularly was up there with anything GON put up imo. There wasn’t much of a plan in the other two games either.

you can have a crap squad and still put together something of a tactical plan, how you press, how you build attacks. Then if the quality lets you down, fine. I gave O’Neil the same criticism, I’m not gonna cover my eyes just because I like VP. Especially when we sacked Hobbs during the summer and have put him and his mate in charge of recruitment.

There’s also the things I’ve heard about him losing the dressing room. For large portions of that game they played like that.

 

[prawnking]

Every manager has some kind of blind spot, even the best, so I don't obsess over Munetsi like most of the forum, although I would prefer him not to be a starter and 90 min fixture in the team, although someone has to take his place for that, who are we suggesting? There must be a reason VP isn't starting both Lopez and Arias either side of JSL. Could be a matter of time

 

[prawnking]

There was absolutely zero plan on Saturday. That first half particularly was up there with anything GON put up imo. There wasn’t much of a plan in the other two games either.

you can have a crap squad and still put together something of a tactical plan, how you press, how you build attacks. Then if the quality lets you down, fine. I gave O’Neil the same criticism, I’m not gonna cover my eyes just because I like VP. Especially when we sacked Hobbs during the summer and have put him and his mate in charge of recruitment.

There’s also the things I’ve heard about him losing the dressing room. For large portions of that game they played like that.

I think it's reasonable to add slight concerns about VP and the current set up to our list of other worries, especially given his rep as a short term fix kind of manager

 

[Wolftone]

I don't really understand when we are playing three central defenders why we need to have two defensive central midfielders sitting in front of them. If it was working, looked solid and we were getting loads of clean sheets, that would be ok. Looks like no one knows what they are doing.
Andre was rubbish on Saturday.

 

[Elephant Pyjamas]

Saying Vítor has lost the plot is grossly unfair at this stage. What are we actually expecting from him here? Fosun have given him a squad with bottom 3 wages, brought most of their signings in late in the window and he's had injuries and suspensions to key players already. Is now really the time to be throwing nonsense like that around?

Absolutely agree.

 

[WVWolf]

Fosun are obviously chiefly to blame for our situation, but Vitor/Teti have had a mare this summer as well, using the funds they had available. I presume that's on them.

£26m on a defender who has one year experience in a top division (and his team were very bad).
A striker who is the exact same profile to our other striker.
No central midfielder.
£20m on a young attacking midfielder who is unlikely to start, yet spend just over £20m combined on TWO starting wing-backs.
No quick forward who can dribble with the ball.

When you have shit owners like Fosun and idiots like Jeff involved, you need the 'football people' to be spot on in everything to be successful. I think it's been a terrible window from Teti/Vitor in terms of the type of player they've brought in and the way they've spent the money.

 

[Mel Evo]

Fosun are obviously chiefly to blame for our situation, but Vitor/Teti have had a mare this summer as well, using the funds they had available. I presume that's on them.

£26m on a defender who has one year experience in a top division (and his team were very bad).
A striker who is the exact same profile to our other striker.
No central midfielder.
£20m on a young attacking midfielder who is unlikely to start, yet spend just over £20m combined on TWO starting wing-backs.
No quick forward who can dribble with the ball.

When you have shit owners like Fosun and idiots like Jeff involved, you need the 'football people' to be spot on in everything to be successful. I think it's been a terrible window from Teti/Vitor in terms of the type of player they've brought in and the way they've spent the money.

We’ve evidently got massive issues at the heart of the defence, so slamming a CB who hasn’t even pulled his boots on yet seems a bit prompt. I’ve also got no problem with getting rid of two hopeless forwards (good result) and replacing with someone who offers hope of scoring.

 

[Lycan]

There was absolutely zero plan on Saturday. That first half particularly was up there with anything GON put up imo. There wasn’t much of a plan in the other two games either.

you can have a crap squad and still put together something of a tactical plan, how you press, how you build attacks. Then if the quality lets you down, fine. I gave O’Neil the same criticism, I’m not gonna cover my eyes just because I like VP. Especially when we sacked Hobbs during the summer and have put him and his mate in charge of recruitment.

There’s also the things I’ve heard about him losing the dressing room. For large portions of that game they played like that.

I feel that the last 2 League games have definitely been a case of the quality letting him down. How can you build any coherent way of creating chances when 2 of your front 3 can't control a football? Vítor will know that more than anyone.

We've seen Vítor's teams play some lovely football at times, even with someone like Munetsi in the team. He can build a good team with a player like Munetsi, Hwang, Bellegarde or Tchatchoua being a valuable part of it. I don't think anybody would be able to build one with all 4 and hopefully going forward we won't have to see that too often. I also think once Krejci is settled in and Mosquera is 100% fit that the back 3 will settle down and stop being such a clusterfuck. As I said in the verdict thread, I think our team will look completely different in 3 or 4 weeks.

More than anything though I just think it's a ridiculous time to be throwing any kind of shade at the manager of this football club. People need to take a step back and take in the whole picture, there are clear reasons why we'll be in the bottom 5 or 6 teams this season and very few of them have to do with the current head coach.

If you've heard anything about him losing the dressing room that's a completely different conversation and one which probably needs to be focused more on player power and the ridiculous environment created by blundering idiots above Vítor's position than it being a reflection of his character.

 

[Lycan]

£26m on a defender who has one year experience in a top division (and his team were very bad).

Krejci is statistically one of the most press resistant centre backs in Europe. It's clearly an area Vítor wants to improve, he's only being talking about it since the day he joined. Also, you haven't seen him play yet?

A striker who is the exact same profile to our other striker.

Is he? I don't think that just because they're tall they're the same profile at all.

No central midfielder.

Yet.

£20m on a young attacking midfielder who is unlikely to start, yet spend just over £20m combined on TWO starting wing-backs.

Why is Fer López unlikely to start? Maybe not straight away and probably not all season but he will start in big games for us. I think he looks like a very good signing to be honest. Are we really moaning about him?

No quick forward who can dribble with the ball.

Jhon Arias.

 

[Jinky]

Percy (one of our most reliable journalists and sources of information) said - at least two months ago - that we wanted to focus on bringing players who were “good in 1 v 1 situations”. “Players who are good with the ball at the feet, have pace and can beat a defender”. He also said that it was a priority to sort the keeper department out as “Johnstone wants to move and be first choice again”.

Away from Percy, Vitor has spent the whole summer saying we need a “more attacking solution in midfield”.

At the moment, we haven’t been able to do any of those things for the manager (and let’s not forget, he’s been allowed to bring his mate in to assist with getting deals done). Have we changed plans? Or have we just failed miserably?

We’ve also heard “judge them at the end of the window” said on a near daily basis. Now I’m seeing some say “hopefully we can strengthen in January!”. Give me strength.

If we don’t get a central midfielder (no chance we get a winger or ‘10’) in today, along with the drop in quality of the players we have managed to sign, it will be an abject failure of a window.

 

[Lycan]

Give me strength.

Somebody please, give him some.

 

[Jinky]

Somebody please, give him some.

Would be better if someone gave it to Domenico Teti so he can actually get a signing or two over the line

 

[AndyWolves]

Jeff is the problem, there isn't anything he does or any interview he gives that makes me think he's capable of making the right decisions for the football club.

Until Jeff goes we won't get better.

For me, moving around coaches, directors of football etc won't make any difference until we've got someone making the right decisions at the top.

I just want Jeff gone.

 

[prawnking]

Krejci is statistically one of the most press resistant centre backs in Europe. It's clearly an area Vítor wants to improve, he's only being talking about it since the day he joined. Also, you haven't seen him play yet?



Is he? I don't think that just because they're tall they're the same profile at all.



Yet.



Why is Fer López unlikely to start? Maybe not straight away and probably not all season but he will start in big games for us. I think he looks like a very good signing to be honest. Are we really moaning about him?



Jhon Arias.

So everything's fine and nothing to worry about then?

 

[YoungWolf]

I feel that the last 2 League games have definitely been a case of the quality letting him down. How can you build any coherent way of creating chances when 2 of your front 3 can't control a football? Vítor will know that more than anyone.

We've seen Vítor's teams play some lovely football at times, even with someone like Munetsi in the team. He can build a good team with a player like Munetsi, Hwang, Bellegarde or Tchatchoua being a valuable part of it. I don't think anybody would be able to build one with all 4 and hopefully going forward we won't have to see that too often. I also think once Krejci is settled in and Mosquera is 100% fit that the back 3 will settle down and stop being such a clusterfuck. As I said in the verdict thread, I think our team will look completely different in 3 or 4 weeks.

The reason I expect more is because based on his coaching career to date (and the job he did last season) he’s a good coach. Even with the state of the squad, that first half performance wasn’t remotely acceptable. A good coach makes the most of what you have. The back 3 making three or four passes before laying it back to sa to hoof it to Hwang isn’t good coaching. We have two brilliant Brazilian midfielders for one. I could handle if we had actually played more direct but in a purposeful way. I’d have understood that even if it’s not what I want a Wolves team to be.

More than anything though I just think it's a ridiculous time to be throwing any kind of shade at the manager of this football club. People need to take a step back and take in the whole picture, there are clear reasons why we'll be in the bottom 5 or 6 teams this season and very few of them have to do with the current head coach.

Probably. But as I said - we’ve had several managers before him who have worked in very similar conditions and I’ve still been critical of them. I’d be a hypocrite not to criticise what I’m seeing, which even in pre-season was worrying (and I spent most of that telling myself it was just because it’s pre-season). We all know what/who the over-arching issue is - but that isn’t changing either.

If you've heard anything about him losing the dressing room that's a completely different conversation and one which probably needs to be focused more on player power and the ridiculous environment created by blundering idiots above Vítor's position than it being a reflection of his character.

I never said it was a reflection of his character tbh. But he does have previous for not lasting very long in jobs..

bad atmosphere, complaints that the players don’t feel fit enough etc, all worrying stuff to hear (if true, I must stress).

I’m seeing enough to suggest that it’s all trending in one direction which is why I’m worried, as we are so heavily reliant on the coach over-performing at a terribly run club. I hope that I’m wrong, or that his increased responsibility for recruitment has distracted him and the window closing actually does him a favour to focus on what his expertise is across a long career - coaching the players he has.

 

[Lycan]

So everything's fine and nothing to worry about then?

Is that what I said?

 

[Jinky]

Sky reporting there will be no other incomings other than Tolu today.

Let’s hope they’re wrong, eh?

 

[WVWolf]

Why is Fer López unlikely to start? Maybe not straight away and probably not all season but he will start in big games for us. I think he looks like a very good signing to be honest. Are we really moaning about him?



Jhon Arias.

That made me laugh, sorry So you think Lopez is unlikely to start all season but you questioned why I said that? Anyway, he is our second biggest outlay. I think that's poor considering we are crying out for quality to improve the XI now, even if I am encouraged by what I've seen. But it links back to the budget, if you're restricted, I don't think you spend so much on a project player when the team is so bad.

It's early days but I haven't seen Arias as a quick forward who can dribble with the ball. I haven't seen much at all sadly.

I have seen Krejci play a few times and I don't think he's great. Doesn't mean my opinion is right but I think we have overpaid for someone who doesn't have the pedigree to suggest he is an upgrade on what we have.

And, yes I do feel Tolu and Larsen have too many similarities from seeing how he plays. I don't think they will work as a partnership, and I'd have preferred a different type of forward if we could only bring one in.