Wolves have endured a very tough start to the new season – and Darren Bent has dropped a verdict that fans everywhere will agree with.
Wolves still haven’t picked up a point in the Premier League, and the club look all set for a relegation battle.
Simply put, Wolves have not been good enough defensively, and have also lacked creativity in the final third, meaning Vitor Pereira has plenty to fix.
There has been some positive moments, with Wolves’ Carabao Cup campaign going well after wins against West Ham United and Everton.
But the league form is hugely concerning – and it hasn’t come as too much of a surprise to many.
Ultimately, Wolves’ 2025 transfer window left a lot to be desired. And now, Pereira will really struggle to get Wolves to finish around mid-table, which was his goal initially.
Former striker turned pundit Darren Bent believes the transfer modus operandi has finally caught up with Wolves.
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Darren Bent criticises Wolves transfer model amid struggles
The 2020 window was always going to be a very important one for Wolves.
A number of players were out of contract, and several were always likely to be targeted by other clubs.
Initially, there was optimism. It was suggested the penny had dropped for Wolves executives, and that there was a realisation that more spending was required to avoid relegation battles.
In the end, there was an exodus, with game-changing players like Matheus Cunha and Rayan Ait-Nouri both moving on.
It is a theme Wolves fans have grown used to in recent years, with Fosun more than happy to cash in and make a profit, rather than try to retain players and build a properly competitive team.
Yesterday on talkSPORT (23/09, 4:16pm), Darren Bent expressed his concern for Wolves this season, and pointed to the transfer MO as a reason for the club’s struggles.
He said: “No manager can keep going, and going and going if they (owners) keep taking your best players.
“We spoke about (Matheus) Cunha before right? He is a top, top player, which is why Manchester United came and got him. They also lost Ait-Nouri who I’m a big fan of as well. Semedo the right-back, loads of experience, he left on a free transfer
“And then you look at what they brought in. Yes, they’ve now made (Jorgen) Strand Larsen permanent – decent. (Tolu) Arokodare from Genk, OK yeah, Fer Lopez good player, 21, unproven in the Premier League.
“Eventually these guys might go on to be decent, but right now you look at Wolves and go ‘What’s going to happen?'”
Bent also stated that he was a fan of Pereira, and was not surprised that they gave him a new contract.
Fosun have played with fire and may finally get burnt
We have seen similar summers to the 2025 window in recent years at Wolves.
In 2023, key players left such as Joao Moutinho, Raul Jimenez, Adama Traore and Diego Costa.
The following year, Pedro Neto and Max Kilman departed.
This time, it was Cunha, Ait-Nouri and a host of others and Wolves have taken a big risk with their recruitment.
It is going to take time for these unproven players to settle. And who is to say that all of them will fully do that.
Fosun have long been playing with fire with their transfer model at Wolves, and this could be the season they finally get burnt.