Wolves transfer news: The ‘Vitor Pereira test’ every signing must pass, what’s really happening with his contract, the next targets on their list and this summer’s behind the scenes upgrades

Break the August curse. That is the first job for Vitor Pereira and his Wolves players as they look to improve their wretched record at the start of the season.

Since returning to the Premier League in 2018, Wolves have won just one of their 20 league fixtures in this month – an astonishingly poor return that has them on the back foot immediately.

Fixing that is one of the easier goals, however. Wolves need somehow to rally a fanbase which, despite their admiration for Pereira, are disappointed with the way the club is being managed and have targeted chairman Jeff Shi. Key players Matheus Cunha, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Nelson Semedo have departed this summer, leaving question marks in key areas.

Yet things at least feel calmer at Molineux than in recent summers, which have been dominated by grumpy managers, lack of transfer funds, or both. They believe they have spent sensibly in the market and expect to add up to four more players before the window closes, using a thorough process that should help reduce the errors of the past.

Until they line up against Manchester City on August 16, it is difficult to judge Wolves. But after replacing Gary O’Neil in December, Pereira did a stunning job to steer them to a comfortable survival last term. With him in charge, Wolves can afford to be a little more optimistic.

How are the new signings shaping up?

Wolves coaches have been very impressed by Fer Lopez. The £20million price tag looked steep for a player who had made just seven starts in La Liga for Celta Vigo but he appears to have the physical attributes to thrive in the Premier League.

Attacking midfielder Lopez, 21, is represented by Gestifute, which is run by super-agent Jorge Mendes, and that has raised eyebrows – but Mail Sport can reveal the Spaniard has been on Wolves’ radar for four years.

He is tall, combative and has looked at home instantly in the English environment. These are the signings Wolves are targeting: young, relatively unknown and with the potential to increase in value.

Jhon Arias was the exception. The Colombia forward turns 28 next month and is outside Wolves’ usual age profile but it is understood he was personally recommended by Pereira and Wolves expect him to add the dash of flair that Matheus Cunha provided before he joined Manchester United.

The wonderfully-named David Moller Wolfe was proposed by the club’s recruitment team but had to pass the all-important Vitor Pereira test.

So what is the Vitor test?

Pereira does not dominate recruitment policy, trusting his key advisor Domenico Teti to ensure his wishes are relayed.

But his priorities are clear: he is committed to his three-man defence and wing-backs. Pereira likes tall, quick, aggressive players in those wing-back roles and wants powerful central midfielders whose priority is the protect the centre-backs.

Some fans may fear this is too rigid but internally, staff are encouraged by how well Pereira knows his own mind.

Watching him at work, some long-serving Wolves employees are reminded of the glorious three years under another Portuguese coach, Nuno Espirito Santo, when the club stormed to promotion from the Championship before finishing seventh in the Premier League in consecutive seasons, reaching the FA Cup semi-finals and the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

What about Pereira’s new deal?

Wolves’ fans have come to fear turbulent summers and until Pereira has signed on the dotted line, many will be nervous – especially when Pereira expressed frustration last month about the lack of transfer activity, just like his predecessors Gary O’Neil and Julen Lopetegui.

Yet Wolves are relatively relaxed about the situation and there are compelling reasons why.

Unlike Lopetegui and, to an extent, O’Neil, there is no sense that Pereira has his eye on another job. Lopetegui had one foot out of the door as soon as he realised there would be limits on what he could spend in the transfer market.

And there was surprise at Wolves when O’Neil was periodically linked to clubs he appeared to have little chance of joining – for example, Liverpool appeared a particularly fanciful notion after Jurgen Klopp left last summer.

Mail Sport understands the contract situation will be addressed properly when the transfer window closes, but neither side feels the need to be hasty. There is one other important point: Wolves handed O’Neil and his assistants new four-year deals on the eve of last season. They did not win in the league until November 9 and on December 15, O’Neil was sacked.

Pereira, meanwhile, is confident he will get the reinforcements he needs before the window closes but once more, it makes sense for him to see how the land lies in early September.

However, Pereira has aspired to work in the Premier League all his career and there appears no reason for him to look elsewhere. All things being equal, he should sign in the autumn.

Where do Wolves need to reinforce?

Of the players who have departed this summer, Nelson Semedo was the only one Pereira wanted to keep and as such, finding a new right wing-back is a priority. Marc Pubill and Juanlu Sanchez were targets but Pubill joined Atletico Madrid while Sanchez looks set to move to Napoli from Sevilla.

Coventry defender Milan van Ewijk, valued at £15m, has been offered and while Wolves like him, Mail Sport understands there are other players above him in the list. 

Wolves have excellent contacts in Spain and Portugal and it would be a surprise if they had not considered Espanyol defender Omar El Hilali, who belongs to the same agency as Sanchez and ticks a number of boxes for Pereira.

Pereira is also looking for a versatile forward who can play either as a No 10, through the middle or even wide when required. Then they need cover for outstanding midfield duo Joao Gomes and Andre, as well as a left-footed centre-back to provide cover for Toti Gomes.

Yet here Wolves run into the conundrum that affected Tottenham for so many years when they looked for strong back-up for Harry Kane: If a player believes himself good enough to play regular Premier League football, why would he wish to start on the bench most weeks? That is why arrivals in these roles may come late in the window, possibly on loan.

And who could still leave?

It might not set supporters’ pulses racing, but Wolves are happy with some of the work they have done on the squad this season.

Cunha, Semedo, Pablo Sarabia and Goncalo Guedes were all earning high salaries and are now off the wage bill – another reason why Wolves have no immediate concerns about meeting Premier League spending rules.

The club are in discussions with Borussia Dortmund to sell Fabio Silva for about £22m – less than the extraordinary £35m they paid FC Porto in 2020, but which can be booked as profit. For accounting purposes, Silva’s value has declined over time and is now around the £10m mark.

Hwang Hee-chan is another who will be allowed to move on if the deal is right. Championship club Birmingham showed interest earlier in the window when they concluded a loan deal for Tommy Doyle but at the time, Hwang was reluctant to drop into the second tier.

Why was business slow early in window?

The focus was on clearing the high earners off the wage bill and this has now been achieved, yet recruitment at Wolves now looks very different from a year ago.

Former sporting director Matt Hobbs dominated that landscape and Teti, whose title is director of professional football, is part of a five-man leadership team.

Teti was not appointed until June 16 and rather than leading on recruitment, the Italian’s role is to ensure clear communication across key departments while providing support for Pereira.

There is now input from different angles on transfers. Lopez was a long-term target who predated Pereira but who he regarded highly, while Moller Wolfe was brought to him and passed the test.

Mail Sport can reveal Arias was a direct recommendation from Pereira, who had witnessed his talent first-hand as manager of Brazilian giants Flamengo, when Arias played for their fierce rivals Fluminense. As has always been the case, Mendes is trusted by chairman Jeff Shi and remains influential.

Too many voices? Perhaps, but Wolves feel this process gives them a better chance of avoiding previous mistakes in the market.

How have things changed behind the scenes?

Important work has been undertaken at the club’s training ground at Compton, on the outskirts of the city.

Medical rooms have been improved and expanded and biocentric lighting added to the coaches’ office and changing room areas. This is designed to simulate the effects of daylight while indoors which, when combined with a healthy lifestyle, is said to improve mood and promote better sleep.

There are now screens in the home dressing room at Molineux to allow Pereira to make his tactical points more clearly, and a giant screen in that area at Compton.

Teti has made a good start, too, creating clear lines of communication between departments. Under previous regimes, information would sometimes filter in a haphazard way, with certain officials feeling they were kept out of the decision-making process. Wolves’ new five-man leadership team is designed to stop such things happening.

Naturally, fancy light bulbs and carefully-minuted meetings will not cut much ice with fans if Wolves lose five of their first six. But they are all elements of a process that Wolves believe will give them a better chance of avoiding such damaging results.

Have lessons been learned?

The crucial question. When Pereira was appointed last December, Wolves were in severe danger of relegation and that did not start and end with performances on the pitch.

Would a more efficient system have raised the alarm in pre-season last summer? Results were positive but there were concerns, too. There appeared to be a lack of harmony among the squad, while the choice of Mario Lemina as captain proved disastrous. That decision would not have been made under the current structure.

Similarly, when assessing signings Wolves are placing heavy emphasis on their commitment to the project. Mail Sport understands Wolves could probably have got the Pubill deal over the line, but never quite felt the young Spaniard was ‘all in’. It is thought the topic of relegation clauses was raised during discussions for Sanchez – another red flag.

Whereas O’Neil and his staff lived a long way from Wolverhampton, Pereira and his allies are based five minutes from the training ground. It feels a stronger coaching team, one better equipped to handle possible setbacks.

None of this will make supporters fall in love with Shi and owners Fosun, who remain unpopular among a significant proportion of fans. But if it works as Wolves hope, there should be far less of the chaos that characterised the first four months of last term.