A raft of transfer links have already circulated Wolves before the window even opens as Vitor Pereira anticipates the departure of Matheus Cunha.
Manchester United are close to signing Cunha, who has been linked with a move out of Molineux ever since he signed a new contract in January.
That means the most pressing issue for Pereira heading into the summer is finding a replacement. The Brazilian has scored 17 goals in all competitions this term, with 15 of those coming in the Premier League.
As a result, we exclusively revealed that Wolves were eyeing a move for Chelsea’s Joao Felix, and he isn’t the only player on their radar.
Wolves are also interested in Harvey Elliott from Liverpool however, the 22-year-old commands a £50 million price tag and Pereira could sign someone arguably better for a fraction of the price.
Leicester City’s Bilal El Khannouss is available for £22 million
Once Cunha’s £62.5 million release clause is triggered, Wolves are likely to receive the payments in instalments, meaning not all of his transfer fee will be poured into finding a replacement.
Fosun is known for only pumping a fraction of the fee into the transfer budget, and while that won’t please supporters, one Premier League star is available for a bargain.
🦁🔵 Info #LCFC:
— Sacha Tavolieri (@sachatavolieri) May 5, 2025
🇲🇦 The Foxes just set the price of the release clause for Bilal El Khannouss! Following Leicester City’s relegation to the Championship, club’s management will demand €26M to let go their Moroccan talent during the upcoming transfer window. #mercato… pic.twitter.com/WumqinnfOO
According to journalist Sacha Tavolieri, Leicester City playmaker Bilal El Khannouss is available for just £22 million this summer following the Foxes relegation.
El Khannouss was signed for a similar price from Genk last year but is one of several players poised to depart the King Power Stadium, and the Old Gold should pounce.
Although Arsenal are interested in the Moroccan playmaker, Pereira could offer the 20-year-old the guarantee of regular first-team football as a key star in his team in place of Cunha.
Some fans may question going for a player who has suffered relegation, but the talented playmaker has been a shining light under Ruud van Nistelrooy, seeing his talents flourish as a number 10.
| Matheus Cunha (past year) | Statistics per 90 | Bilal El Khannouss (past year) |
| 0.56 | Non-penalty goals | 0.09 |
| 3.54 | Total shots | 1.26 |
| 4.24 | Shot-creating actions | 2.97 |
| 0.21 | Assists | 0.13 |
| 4.83 | Progressive passes | 5.35 |
| 3.85 | Progressive carries | 3.19 |
| 5.52 | Progressive passes received | 3.73 |
| 2.15 | Successful take-ons | 1.35 |
Statistically, Cunha dominates El Khannouss in almost all of the above metrics, but it must be remembered that the Leicester ace is five years younger and has the potential to improve significantly under Pereira.
- READ MORE: Vitor Pereira just urged Rodrigo Gomes to take inspiration from one surprise Wolves teammate
Pep Guardiola was ‘impressed’ by El Khannouss
One of the only successful signings last summer under Steve Cooper, El Khannouss has caught the eye of many in England’s top-flight.
And speaking after Man City’s 2-0 win over the Foxes in December, the Moroccan international recalled how Pep Guardiola praised him for his display.
“Guardiola said he was impressed with my performance today, but not me. Because I know myself, and that’s the player I am. I have to show that every week,” El Khannouss stated.
That level of admiration from a world-class manager suggests he can become a world-beating talent, and hopefully, Wolves are the ones to unlock it.