Wolves have experienced many transfer blunders in recent years that have come back to haunt them.
Goal machine Viktor Gyokeres is one prime example of their woes in the transfer window. Wolves approached the Swedish international but it was Sporting CP who secured his signature for £21m in 2023.
Wolves indeed missed out on signing Gyokeres as Jeff Shi was out of the country. It was claimed that the Old Gold presented the best offer to Coventry City for the striker but, the deal was halted at the final stage due to Shi not being around to release the funds.
The 26-year-old is now outperforming Manchester City’s Erling Haaland in 2024/25 after scoring 23 goals in 18 appearances for his club, including a hat-trick against Pep Guardiola’s men in the Champions League.
For Wolves and Gyokeres it is a case of what could have been but sadly, missing out on the Swedish superstar isn’t the only transfer blunder they’ve made.
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Wolves tried to sign Murillo in 2023 but Corinthians wanted £17m
Supporters have become used to the purse strings being tight at Molineux, especially when negotiating deals in the window.
Wolves have operated on a limited transfer budget, with Fosun imposing a sell-to-buy model, whereby the Old Gold sell their best players to invest in the playing squad.
Such a strategy has seen the Wanderers unearth gems such as Rayan Ait-Nouri and Joao Gomes however, there was another player they could have snapped up for a bargain in 2023.
Wolves wanted to sign Corinthians centre-back Murillo but they were only willing to pay £11 million for the promising defender while the Brazilian giants wanted £17 million.
In the end, it was Premier League rivals Nottingham Forest who snapped up Murillo for around £15 million on transfer deadline day last year, leaving the Old Gold instantly regretting their unwillingness to pay the fee.
Nottingham Forest want world-record transfer fee for Murillo
Murillo has gone from strength to strength at the City Ground, with the 22-year-old becoming one of the most sought-after centre-backs in Europe.
Forest, managed by Nuno Espirito Santo, have started the season brilliantly and sit in fifth position, level on points with third-place Chelsea.
BBC commentator Guy Mowbray dubbed Murillo as ‘quality’ after Forest’s 1-0 win over Liverpool in September, with the Brazilian defender playing a crucial role under Santo.
Murillo’s incredible form has alerted the interest of European giants Real Madrid however, the Reds are holding firm in their £80 million valuation.
The i even report that Forest could command a world-record fee for the defender, eclipsing the £80m Manchester United paid for Harry Maguire in 2019.
For Wolves, seeing Murillo’s progression since they failed to sign him last year will be a bitter pill to swallow as he would have fixed their defensive issues this term.