Wolves will need to strengthen in January to have any chance of surviving the Premier League drop.
The Old Gold are in last place after seven games, and there is no doubt that this season’s squad is much weaker than last season’s.
Most of the new signings have not had the impact Wolves would have wanted, but there have been some that have settled quickly.
Tim Spiers named Ladislav Krejci as the 15th most influential signing in the Premier League, and the Czech player has become a fan favourite.
However, when it comes to adding names to the squad in January, if the Wanderers are to dip into the market, they’ll have to follow a particular rule.
Wolves have hit their non-homegrown quota
After the last transfer window, Wolves have completely filled their quota of non-homegrown players.
Under Premier League rules, Wolves can register a squad of 25 players; however, only 17 of those can be non-homegrown.
Clubs can name smaller squads if they do not have enough homegrown players, and those under the age of 21 can be added to the youth list instead.
Wolves currently only have six homegrown players and thus registered a 23-man playing squad, but Fer Lopez was a notable inclusion on the youth list.
The rules mean that if the Old Gold are to enter the market in the winter, the players would have to:
- Be under the age of 21
- Be homegrown
- Replace a current member of the Wolves squad
The Old Gold have been linked to numerous players for January already, including Lazio’s Taty Castellanos; however, if he were to come in, another player in the squad would have to make way.
The business that Wolves can do will be very limited, and that is not an ideal situation due to the club needing to strengthen.
The last thing Wolves need is limitation
Wolves being limited in the market is a major negative.
They need to add fresh energy and more quality, and with the restrictions on their squad, they have limited room to manoeuvre.
When fighting to avoid the drop, every signing matters, and Wolves cannot afford to get their January business wrong.
The limitations then narrow the talent pool, and if a non-homegrown player who could change their fortunes becomes available, they will not be able to pounce.