Back in 2022, Romain Saiss left Wolves on a free transfer after six years at the club.
Unable to come to an agreement that would keep him at Molineux, Romain Saiss joined Besiktas after the 2021/22 season, one of many big names out the door at Wolves that summer.
The Moroccan was integral to all the success Wolves enjoyed during his stint at the club, starting with winning the Championship title.
After his departure, Saiss did an exclusive interview for a Wolves fan channel where he made an observation that has come true time and time again since his departure.
Romain Saiss warned Wolves about losing players
When Saiss left, Wolves had just finished 10th in the league, their third top-half finish in four seasons. By all accounts, things were really positive around Molineux.
But even then, cracks were beginning to show in how the club was being run, and Saiss wasn’t afraid to call it out.
Appearing on the Talking Wolves podcast, he said: “Something’s going wrong, for sure, because it looks like you are losing the identity of the club, you know, being together this kind of things. You lost how many — not even big players — how many characters you lost this season?”
The 35-year-old saw where things were heading as a result of Fosun’s approach. The summers following this one were even worse.
He remarked: “You still have some players who are here for many years in the club, like Ruben (Neves), like Joao (Moutinho), Raul (Jimenez) this kind of player, but lost so many in one transfer window.”
Funnily enough, all three examples mentioned by Saiss were sold the following summer along with Matheus Nunes.
Max Kilman and Pedro Neto went a season later, and as we all know, Matheus Cunha, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Nelson Semedo were the big-name exits just a few months ago.
Identity lost.
Wolves transfer strategy needs a rethink
Look, it’s still quite early to pass judgment on the new arrivals at Molineux, but it’s fair to say they haven’t been super convincing.
Fosun seem to think players can be easily replaced, but repeatedly, their thesis is shown to be wide of the mark.
If players like Cunha and Ait-Nouri are adamant about leaving, fair enough, but even the most proficient sellers — think Brighton, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace — leave some talent in reserve to ensure they can continue competing.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 1 |  ArsenalArsenal | 8 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 15 | 3 | 12 | 19 |
| 2 |  Manchester CityManchester City | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 6 | 11 | 16 |
| 3 |  LiverpoolLiverpool | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 15 |
| 4 |  BournemouthBournemouth | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 14 | 11 | 3 | 15 |
| 5 |  ChelseaChelsea | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 16 | 9 | 7 | 14 |
| 6 |  TottenhamTottenham | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| 7 |  SunderlandSunderland | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 6 | 3 | 14 |
| 8 |  Crystal PalaceCrystal Palace | 8 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 8 | 4 | 13 |
| 9 |  Manchester UnitedManchester United | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 11 | 12 | -1 | 13 |
| 10 |  BrightonBrighton | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 12 |
Wolves don’t seem to have done that this summer. Everyone who had half an idea about leaving was allowed to go, and now Pereira’s side looks as inexperienced as the newly promoted teams.
And the frustrating thing is, by the time the ownership realises their recruitment strategy isn’t cutting it, Wolves may well be out of the Premier League.