🐺 Wolves Summer 2025 Transfer State of Play: A Club in Flux
As the 2025 summer transfer window unfolds, Wolverhampton Wanderers find themselves at a crucial crossroads. With pre-season already underway and the Premier League opener just weeks away, the club has made only one new signing. Meanwhile, the exits have piled up — both in terms of numbers and significance.
From the outside, Wolves appear to be in a holding pattern — a club not yet ready to push forward in the market, yet already weakened by high-profile departures. For fans hoping for signs of ambition or progress, the mood has shifted toward frustration, and questions are now being asked about what exactly the club is building under manager Gary O’Neil and sporting director Matt Hobbs.
Let’s break it all down.
🔁 TRANSFER BUSINESS SO FAR
✅ INCOMING
Fer Lopez (Undisclosed fee)
A technically gifted midfielder from Spain, Fer Lopez arrived early in the window. While the 20-year-old shows promise and is regarded as one for the future, he’s not a headline-grabbing signing. More critically, he’s not likely to replace the first-team impact of the key players who’ve left.
❌ OUTGOING
Matheus Cunha – Undisclosed sale (rumored to be a substantial fee)
Rayan Ait-Nouri – Transferred
Pablo Sarabia – Transferred
Craig Dawson – Transferred
Carlos Forbs – Transferred
Tommy Doyle – Loan to Birmingham City
Nasser Djiga – Loan to Rangers (move now agreed and imminent)
That’s seven players gone, with five of them being significant contributors over the past 12–18 months. The departures of Cunha and Ait-Nouri in particular have left large voids. Cunha led the line and often carried the attack, while Ait-Nouri’s dynamism at left-back made him one of the club’s most consistent performers.
Dawson’s exit takes a veteran leader out of the defensive core, while Sarabia’s departure removes another layer of experience from the dressing room.
Meanwhile, Carlos Forbs and Tommy Doyle represented part of the club’s depth and youthful energy. Forbs, though underused, had potential, while Doyle had just begun to settle after a mixed loan spell from Manchester City before his permanent move.
And now, Nasser Djiga, a £10 million signing from Red Star Belgrade just months ago, is set to join Rangers on loan after failing to impress in his early Wolves appearances.
🔄 DJIGA DEPARTURE: RIGHT CALL FOR ALL PARTIES
The case of Nasser Djiga perfectly reflects the challenges of integrating young talent mid-season into the Premier League. Signed with high hopes in January, Djiga looked raw and uncertain during his six appearances for the club. His positioning and physicality were called into question, and the pace of the English game seemed a step ahead of him.
With Yerson Mosquera returning from injury and other centre-backs ahead of him in the pecking order, game time was going to be limited. A loan to Rangers — now confirmed as agreed — is a wise move. The Scottish Premiership will offer him a competitive and physically intense environment. There, he’ll get regular minutes, potentially European football, and a chance to grow in confidence.
If Djiga adapts well, he could return to Wolves next season ready to compete properly. But if not, the loan may also serve as a shop window for a permanent departure down the line.
Either way, it’s a decision rooted in long-term thinking — one of the few positive, proactive moves Wolves have made this summer.
⚠️ UNCERTAIN FUTURES: WHO’S NEXT OUT THE DOOR?
Wolves fans are understandably uneasy not just because of the players already gone, but because of the looming uncertainty surrounding other key squad members. Several players are being monitored by other clubs or could be moved on to help balance the books:
🧍♂️ Nelson Semedo
Officially a free agent as of July 1.
Wolves have tabled a new contract.
However, reports suggest he is more likely to sign abroad than remain at Molineux.
Losing him would be a further blow to defensive depth.
🇰🇷 Hwang Hee-chan
A vital part of Wolves’ attack last season, scoring important goals.
Linked with interest from Germany and Saudi Arabia.
Club may choose to cash in if a big offer arrives.
🇵🇹 Goncalo Guedes
Struggled to find form since arriving from Valencia.
Has already had loan spells away from the club.
Wolves may be open to offers to cut their losses.
🧤 Sam Johnstone
Still battling for the No.1 shirt.
If Wolves recruit a new goalkeeper, his future could come under question.
Any of these players leaving would leave even more gaps to fill. Wolves need clarity on these situations soon, especially as pre-season training ramps up and tactical preparations begin.
🧠 CLUB STRATEGY: WHAT IS WOLVES’ PLAN?
Wolves have always operated under certain financial limitations compared to the traditional “Big Six.” But this summer has pushed fans to the edge. The departures are understandable in an FFP context, but without meaningful signings, it’s difficult to see the direction the club is heading.
There are whispers that Wolves are waiting for prices to drop later in the window. Others suggest that the club is aiming for a youth-focused rebuild — bringing in younger players with high resale value potential, like Fer Lopez, rather than seasoned Premier League performers.
Still, Wolves need to balance that with short-term competitiveness. Gary O’Neil guided the club admirably last season, but even he will struggle if the squad is significantly weakened.
🎯 WHAT WOLVES NEED BEFORE THE WINDOW CLOSES
If Wolves are to avoid a major regression this season, several things must happen:
- At least two experienced first-team signings, ideally in midfield and attack.
- A new full-back, especially if Semedo departs.
- A resolution to the goalkeeper situation.
- A clear strategy on Guedes, Hwang, and Johnstone.
- Reinforcements in defence, particularly with Dawson and Djiga gone.
And perhaps most importantly:
- Communication with fans — supporters need reassurance from the club’s leadership about the plan for the 2025/26 season and beyond.
📣 FAN PERSPECTIVE: FRUSTRATION BUILDING
The Wolves fanbase is passionate, knowledgeable, and realistic. Most supporters understand that the club doesn’t have the budget of Manchester United or Chelsea. But they also expect a level of ambition, planning, and communication that has so far been lacking this summer.
A growing sentiment among fans is that the club may be in “standstill mode”, choosing not to spend until absolutely necessary — a dangerous gamble when the Premier League is more competitive than ever.
📆 FINAL THOUGHTS: A BIG MONTH AHEAD
The next four to five weeks will shape the trajectory of Wolves’ season. The groundwork has been laid for a rebuild, but at present, the squad is lighter, less experienced, and arguably less balanced than it was in May.
If Wolves move quickly and wisely, there’s still time to bring in quality players and stabilize.
If not, Gary O’Neil could find himself facing an uphill battle — again — with a squad that may lack the depth to compete over a 38-game season.
For now, Wolves fans wait. And worry. The Djiga loan to Rangers is a sensible development decision. But without more signings — and soon — the feeling of progress at Molineux may start to fade.