Wolves will be preparing for a busy summer transfer window as Gary O’Neil seeks reinforcements, but the manager may also be worried of any potential exits.
It’s been an exciting season for Wolves under Gary O’Neil’s leadership, but the Old Gold’s achievements risk being overshadowed by a fall in form in the run-up to the summer.
O’Neil’s squad is currently in poor form, having won only one of their previous nine Premier League games, dropping the Midlands club to 13th place in the league.
The summer will be critical for the manager to improve his team, with results attributed to injury troubles and a lack of depth; nevertheless, although the focus will be on incomings, numerous potential exits might be concerning for the club.
Wolves might lose Rayan Ait-Nouri and Nelson Semedo during the transfer window.
Rayan Ait-Nouri’s future has been the subject of conjecture, with transfer analyst Graeme Bailey exclusively told Molineux News that the Old Gold are ‘gearing up’ to lose the Algerian amid interest.
While losing Ait-Nouri would be a setback for O’Neil, the Englishman may be forced to reconsider how his whole backline will look next season, with writer Steve Madeley unearthing an ominous situation that Wolves might face.
In a story for The Athletic, Madeley explained how Nelson Semedo might follow the 22-year-old out the door at Molineux in the summer, adding that ‘it is feasible’ that neither of the fullbacks would be’still around’ by the start of 2024/25.
In addition to the wingback combination, Madeley stated that Matheus Cunha and Pedro Neto ‘might conceivably’ draw bids in the summer that the club would ‘find difficult to refuse’.
Gary O’Neil must try to keep Ait-Nouri and Semedo.
Throughout the season, it’s been evident where the Wolves have thrived in O’Neil’s system, with the fullbacks playing an important role in how the Old Gold create periods of play.
It’s no surprise that Semedo and Ait-Nouri have had some of their greatest performances in a Wolves shirt this season under O’Neil, who has used the pair’s abilities to great effect in a back five.
The Portugal international said that the ‘flexibility’ O’Neil has given him has allowed him to play his greatest football this season since joining Wolves, making a possible departure even more difficult to grasp.
Nelson Semedo describes the essential aspect that makes playing under O’Neil so ‘simple’.
Semedo earns £80,000 per week and is expensive to maintain, but his success this season has hinted that he is worth the money. However, with one year remaining on his deal, is the former Barcelona ace’s time almost up?
Similarly, Ait-Nouri is thought to be garnering attention from a number of Premier League teams, and his transfer might bring much-needed revenue for O’Neil to refill his roster.
Wolves will have a fascinating summer, with a focus on keeping and refilling the club ahead of the 2024/25 season.
