“Wolves Tear Up January Market With Blockbuster Bid for Sunderland Jewel and Saints Forward”
The gloomy atmosphere that has surrounded Wolverhampton Wanderers throughout their disastrous start to the 2025/26 Premier League season finally eased — if only for a brief moment — in their final fixture of 2025. A spirited performance from Rob Edwards’ side saw Wolves grind out a hard-earned 1–1 draw away at Manchester United, sealing just their third point of the season. For a team starved of positivity, even a point at Old Trafford felt like a rare shaft of light breaking through months of dark clouds.
Yet when the celebrations faded, the reality of Wolves’ position returned with full force. The Premier League table remains a painful sight for supporters, with the club a staggering 15 points adrift of safety. Relegation to the Championship is no longer whispered about — it is now an almost inevitable outcome unless something extraordinary happens in the second half of the campaign.
This looming crisis presents Wolves’ hierarchy with a huge dilemma as the January transfer window opens. Do they accept their fate, conserve resources, and prepare for a major rebuild in the Championship? Or do they take one last gamble — investing heavily in new signings in the hope of sparking a miraculous escape?
To explore what might happen, Football Manager 2026 was used to simulate the January transfer window and predict how Wolves might act under pressure. The outcome? A window of bold moves, major exits, and surprise arrivals.
Wolves spend big despite looming relegation
If there were any doubts over Wolves’ strategy, they vanished very early in the simulation. The club opened the window with a statement signing — spending £20 million on Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil. The highly-rated youngster had been tipped for a Championship loan, but Wolves instead went all-in, securing him on a permanent deal. It was a significant investment for a club in crisis, signalling total commitment to fighting for survival.
This purchase was largely funded by a blockbuster departure — but more on that later.
The recruitment didn’t end there. Next through the doors at Molineux was Jonas Hofmann, the experienced Bayer Leverkusen winger. Signed for a modest £1.7 million, the 32-year-old brings years of Bundesliga experience and 23 caps for Germany. While not a marquee arrival, Hofmann represents a dependable, intelligent attacking option — the kind Wolves have lacked this season.
Then came perhaps the most intriguing transfer of the window: Brazilian forward Rony, snapped up for £6 million. Aside from a brief spell in Japan, Rony has spent most of his career in Brazil and built a strong reputation as a consistent goalscorer. He has hit double figures in the Brazilian top flight for six straight seasons, including an incredible 23-goal campaign for Palmeiras in 2022. Wolves will be hoping he can rediscover that form in England.
But the spending spree wasn’t over yet.
As deadline day approached, Wolves added three more forwards to their ranks. Austrian striker Leon Grgic arrived from SK Sturm Graz for £8.5 million, offering physical presence and raw potential. Highly-rated Southampton prospect Baylee Dipepa followed in a £5 million deal, while Cardiff City forward Cian Ashcroft completed the incoming business at £7 million.
In total, Wolves brought in six players, with a clear focus on adding goals, pace, and fresh energy to a squad that has looked flat all season.
Major departures fund the rebuild
Of course, such a flurry of signings meant departures were inevitable.
The headline exit was the £59 million sale of Andre to Borussia Dortmund. The move to the Bundesliga giants represented both a major career step for the player and a crucial cash injection for Wolves. Without this transfer, their ambitious January activity would never have been possible.
Another notable departure saw Jean-Ricner Bellegarde join Middlesbrough for £9 million. The Championship promotion chasers wasted no time securing the midfielder, who now looks set to play a key role in their push for the Premier League.
Elsewhere, Dutch centre-back Nigel Lonwijk finally moved on from Wolves permanently, joining Luton Town in a £2 million deal. The Hatters clearly saw enough in his previous loan spell to make the move official.
Before the window closed, Wolves made one final outgoing transfer — goalkeeper Sam Johnstone left for Serie A side Cremonese for £1 million. Now teaming up with veteran striker Jamie Vardy in Italy, Johnstone begins a new chapter abroad.
