Gary O’Neil drops huge January transfer window hint that will please Wolves fans.
Wolves are preparing for their huge relegation six-pointer against Ipswich Town but in the background, discussions over the January transfer window are being ironed out.
Gary O’Neil is still in charge at Wolves, although the 41-year-old can count himself lucky, as he’s been on the brink of being dismissed for weeks.
Wolves fans called for O’Neil to be sacked after the 4-0 defeat to Everton and those calls became even louder on Monday night following the 2-1 loss at West Ham.
As it stands, O’Neil is going to be in charge against Ipswich and the foreseen future, unless the correct replacement is found.
Five managers have already rejected the Wolves’ job, as top candidates don’t want to work under the constraints of Fosun, who have ultimately caused the Wanderers demise.
The Old Gold are used to penny-pinching in the window and unearthing young bargains instead of signing the finished article but that could change in January.
READ MORE: Why Fosun must be blamed for Wolves’ rapid decline and not Gary O’Neil
Gary O’Neil, head coach of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on ahead of the Premier League match between West Ham United FC and Wolverhampton Wanderer…
Photo by Jack Thomas – WWFC/Wolves via Getty Images
Gary O’Neil hints that Wolves will spend in January
The upcoming transfer window could be pivotal in Wolves’ hopes of surviving, and that is widely accepted by those higher up.
Fosun has failed previous managers by selling their best players without alternatives arriving, and O’Neil fell victim to that during the summer, as Pedro Neto and Max Kilman were offloaded without direct replacements.
Wolves’ failure to fill Kilman’s void has led them to concede a league-high 38 goals, putting them on track to become the Premier League’s worst defence of all time.
O’Neil wants to sign a centre-back for Wolves to fix their leakiness at the back, and he’s now hinted that money could be spent.
“January will be very different.” – A hint from O’Neil that Wolves will spend. #wwfc
— Liam Keen (@LiamKeen_Star) December 13, 2024
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Speaking in his pre-match press conference, where he revealed Mario Lemina had stepped down as Wolves captain, the manager also said that ‘January will be very different’, per journalist Liam Keen on X.
This could suggest that Wolves won’t be afraid to splash the cash, although supporters will know that spending huge amounts is unlikely.
Three centre-backs Wolves have eyed ahead of January
It was exclusively revealed in October that Wolves were watching two defenders; Sunderland’s Dan Ballard and Sheffield United’s Anel Ahmedhodzic.
Wolves have previously wanted Ahmedhodzic but were unwilling to pay the £20 million asking price while Ballard is someone who has excelled at Championship level at Sunderland.
The Old Gold were also linked with Rennes centre-back Christopher Wooh but interest hasn’t gone any further since.
It’s unknown whether the above trio are still on their radar, as in the case of Ahmedhodzic and Ballard, both players are battling for promotion out of the second tier.
But, it will be interesting to see what sort of market O’Neil will be shopping in. He’s hinted that money can be spent, and he does need a top-class centre-back so hopefully, Fosun can actually back the manager for once.
