The top 10 best-ever signings Fosun have made at Wolves during in their eight-year stay at Molineux.
Throughout their Molineux stay, Wolves owners Fosun have had many ups and downs.
During their reign, they have taken a mid-table Championship side and turned them into a competitive Premier League outfit.
Much of this is thanks to their transfer strategy. Over the years, plenty of Wolves’ first-team have gone on to become stars at the club, despite being purchased for very little.
As a result, this article ranks Wolves’ 10 best signings that Fosun have made. This list takes into account, the cost to bring them in, their longevity, the player’s achievements at the club as well as the profit made if/when he is sold.
10. Jonny
Jonny joined Wolves upon their promotion to the Premier League. Initially, on loan from Atletico Madrid, the Spaniard had big shoes to fill after the departure of fan favourite Barry Douglas.
Playing as a left wing-back, Jonny shone and was easily one of Wolves’ best players.
As a result, the club purchased the Spaniard for £15 million which resulted in a five-and-a-half-year stay at Wolves.
His form continued until an ACL injury against Olympiacos in the Europa League. After recovering, Jonny soon suffered another ACL injury less than a year later.
Upon returning to fitness, the wing-back could not return to form and soon lost his place in the team to Rayan Ait-Nouri. Jonny’s contract was then terminated in January 2024 after a bust-up in training.
While the end of his Wolves career did turn sour, Jonny was easily one of the club’s best players for two years until injuries effectively ended his Old Gold career.
9. Ryan Bennett
Perhaps a surprise inclusion for some. Ryan Bennett was one of the Nuno Espirito Santo’s first signings at the club.
The centre-half joined Wolves on a free after being released from Norwich and was fundamental to the Old Gold’s promotion campaign. Bennett netted one of the most important goals in recent Wolves history when he headed in the winner away to Bristol City which resulted in their promotion push collapsing.
After winning the Championship title, Bennett stayed part of the formidable back three which led to an FA Cup semi-final and a seventh-place finish.
By the time of his departure in 2020, the defender had played 92 games for Wolves, helping to transform the club from a mid-table Championship side to a European outfit, all while costing nothing.
8. Willy Boly
Another rock-solid defender. Willy Boly joined Wolves initially on loan in the 2017/18 campaign.
Under Nuno, Boly was part of a back three paired alongside Bennett and Conor Coady. Here, the Frenchman dominated with few attackers being able to get past him.
This continued in the Premier League, with Boly adapting to the top tier with ease after Wolves permanently purchased the defender for £10 million.
In the Europa League, the centre-back netted a highly memorable last-gasp winner against Besiktas as he became a cult hero at the club.
Unfortunately, injuries restricted his game time in his final seasons at the club before he moved to Nottingham Forest in 2022 for £2.25 million.
7. Max Kilman
The current Wolves captain has been an absolute bargain for the club.
Joining in 2018 from Maidenhead for £40,000, the defender has now become a star player after slowly working his way into Wolves’ first team.
Kilman’s form was vital in the 2022/23 campaign as the club managed to survive the drop under the guidance of Julen Lopetegui.
While his form has been hit and miss in 2024, there is no doubt that the price Wolves got him for was a sensational find.
With clubs such as Manchester United eyeing Kilman in the summer transfer window, Wolves could potentially make a massive profit if they choose to depart with the defender.
Read more: The top 10 worst-ever signings Fosun have made at Wolves.
6. Pedro Neto
The Portuguese winger has been spectacular every time he has stepped out onto the pitch for Wolves. Signing for the Molineux side in August 2019 for around £18 million he has been a joy to watch.
In his five years at the club, the winger won Wolves’ Player of the Season for the 2020/21 campaign. Pedro Neto also scored a highly memorable goal past West Brom in January 2024 to give the Old Gold their first victory at the Hawthorns this century.
The Portuguese international could easily be higher on the list if not for his persistent injuries. Neto has been on the sidelines for large spells of the last four seasons.
If the 24-year-old does depart Wolves soon, they are bound to make a big profit on the winger. However, due to his injuries, Neto’s price tag has reportedly dropped massively.
5. Helder Costa
Perhaps another big surprise on this list, many Wolves fans may not remember how influential Helder Costa was in his first season.
Joining on loan from Benfica at the start of the 2016/17 campaign, he became one of Fosun’s first signings.
However, the side struggled majorly with the strikers unable to score goals for the Old Gold. Despite this, Costa stood out and netted 12 times. This includes a highly memorable goal against Stoke City to beat the Premier League outfit 2-0 in the FA Cup.
As a result, Wolves purchased the winger for a club-record £13 million.
Wolves finished the season in 15th, seven points above the drop zone. Without the winger’s influence, relegation would have certainly been guaranteed, leaving the club in a right mess.
However, an injury in the back end of the campaign affected his return to form the following season.
Despite this, Costa continued to play an important role for Wolves, ensuring they reached the Premier League and following that, the Europa League. The winger would later be sold to Leeds United for £16 million, resulting in a profit.
While Costa may not be as memorable as many other players on this list, his influence in the 2016/17 campaign may make him one of the most important Wolves signings ever.
4. Raul Jimenez
One of Wolves’ very best modern players. Raul Jimenez joined Wolves after their promotion to the Premier League and quickly became their first-choice striker.
The Mexican netted 17 goals in all competitions in his first season in England before Wolves brought the striker permanently for a club-record £30 million.
From here, Jimenez only got better as he scored an empathic 27 goals the following year as the Molineux side reached the Europa League quarter-finals.
Unfortunately, the following season, a head clash with David Luiz away to Arsenal kept him off the pitch for almost an entire season.
After this, Jimenez struggled to return to form and only scored nine goals across his next two campaigns. This led to his departure to Fulham for £5 million last summer, resulting in a big loss from the club.
While his first few seasons at Molineux were magical, sadly his last two brought him in the rankings.
3. Diogo Jota
Just getting into the top three is Diogo Jota. One of the many Portuguese sensations that Wolves had at the club, the attacker joined on loan from Atletico Madrid for the 2017/18 campaign.
Here, Jota played a massive role in getting Wolves out of the Championship, finishing as the club’s top scorer with 18 goals in all competitions. As a result of his form, his deal was made permanent for €14 million in January 2018.
In the Premier League, his form continued as he developed a formidable partnership with Jimenez up top.
In the Europa League, Jota stood out the most, with the attacker scoring nine times in 14 games in Europe, including an 11-minute hat-trick past Besiktas.
With Neto emerging as a star player, Wolves opted to sell Jota for £41 million to Liverpool, resulting in a healthy profit.
2. Joao Moutinho
Just missing out on the top spot, Joao Moutinho joined Wolves upon their promotion to the Premier League.
It was an eye-catching signing, with the midfielder being an experienced Portuguese international and a regular for Champions League outfit Monaco.
However, perhaps even more impressively was the fact that Wolves managed to purchase Moutinho for £5 million.
The midfielder went on to be a key player for Wolves for five seasons and was easily one of their best players at this time.
Without Moutinho, Wolves would have arguably never finished seven in back-to-back years as the Portuguese man oozed class.
In his final season, he helped Wolves starve off their relegation fears before leaving with his head held high at the end of his contract.
1. Ruben Neves
Was there any ever doubt? Ruben Neves is arguably Wolves’ biggest legend of the 21st century.
Joining the club for £15.8 million in the Championship, the midfielder came with a lot of expectation.
Here, Neves undoubtedly delivered being the key player in Nuno’s side as they won the second tier. His goal past Derby County is often looked back on as the best goal many of the Molineux faithful ever saw.
Upon reaching the Premier League, Neves continued to shine and was easily Wolves’ best player throughout his six-year run.
In his final season, Neves became the captain and ensured the club stayed in the division before departing for a club-record fee of £47 million.
In his time at the club, he won Wolves’ Player of the Season in both his first and last season at the club proving his longevity.