Opinion

Gary O’Neil dodged a bullet not signing ‘super talent’ for Wolves – his £20m move has backfired

Wolves host relegation rivals Ipswich Town on Saturday in what is a massive game for both clubs.

The biggest surprise for supporters is that despite watching their side win just twice this term and boast the league’s worst defensive record, Gary O’Neil remains in a job at Molineux.

Wolves are backing O’Neil for the Ipswich clash and the fixtures beyond as their faith in the 41-year-old continues to baffle most fans.

O’Neil hasn’t been helped by Fosun’s awful transfer strategy, with the club choosing to offload their most valuable assets without investing in the squad.

It’s a method that has seen the Wanderers slip down the Premier League table in recent years and if they’re not careful, relegation could be on the cards.

However, sometimes not spending big money on a player has worked in Wolves’ favour, and that was the case when they didn’t sign Jack Clarke in the summer.

Tottenham Hotspur FC v Ipswich Town FC - Premier League
Photo by Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images

Wolves dodged a huge bullet as Jack Clarke struggles at Ipswich

O’Neil was eyeing a replacement for Pedro Neto, who joined Chelsea for £54m in August.

Clarke was one player on Wolves transfer list after watching decimate defences for Sunderland in the Championship with 15 goals and four assists to his name.

Sunderland placed a £30m asking price on Clarke, who was out of Wolves range, and he ended up sealing a late £20m move to Ipswich Town in August.

Clarke, who was dubbed a ‘super talent’ by Tony Mowbray, has failed to showcase his incredible talent in the Premier League so far.

Ipswich fans have grown frustrated with the 24-year-old’s end product, having watched him fail to score in 13 top-flight appearances while assisting just once.

Indeed, judging by his form so far, Wolves dodged a bullet not signing the Englishman, although he could come back to haunt O’Neil this weekend.

Where Wolves must strengthen in the January transfer window

Wolves are expecting plenty of activity in and out of the club during the January transfer window.

In terms of outgoings, Pablo Sarabia is wanted by Sevilla, while the out-of-form Hwang Hee-chan is fielding transfer enquiries from Europe.

More importantly, the Wanderers are focused on bringing new players into the club. Wolves have placed a centre-back on their transfer wishlist as they look to finally replace captain Max Kilman.

Meanwhile, they could also be scouring the market for a new winger after Carlos Forbs and Rodrigo Gomes have struggled following their arrivals.

With O’Neil’s future at Wolves uncertain, it remains to be seen who is in charge for the January window and whether some successful business is done to keep them in the league.