With the transfer window underway, we look back to see what Wolves’ three best-ever January signings are.
The January window has always offered clubs the opportunity to strengthen their squad midseason. Wolves are no different.
In the 2022/23 campaign, with the club struggling in the Premier League, the Molineux side took advantage of the window to pull themselves to safety. A series of highly important players walked through the door such as Matheus Cunha, Joao Gomes and Mario Lemina.
However, it wasn’t just in that season Wolves took advantage of this opportunity. There have been plenty of incidents where the club have used the window to catapult themselves up the table.
Vitor Pereira will be looking to use many of Wolves’ past signings in January as inspiration to help pull the team rto Premier League safety.
This list will only contain signings that joined the club in January. Therefore, incidents where Wolves made a loan deal permanent in this month such as Helder Costa in 2017, will not count.
Nouha Dicko
After the sale of Leigh Griffiths to Celtic, Wolves were after a striker to help continue their promotion push into the Championship.
Under the guidance of Kenny Jackett, the club had a rough November and December that only saw them collect one win in all competitions.
Dicko, who was on loan to Rotherham, had been at Wolves at the back end of the previous campaign when the side got regelated to League One. However, the striker was on fire at Rotherham and had scored twice past Wolves in a 3-3 draw earlier in the season.
Jackett opted to bring Dicko to Molineux in January for £300,000 and he helped transform the club into the best side to ever grace the league.
In just 19 games, the striker netted 13 times as they won the division with a record number of points. Then, in the Championship, Dicko continued this run of form until an injury against Charlton in the 2015/16 season kept him out for 13 months.
After his return, unfortunately, Dicko wasn’t ever able to replicate these performances. However, he still scored some memorable goals including one in a 3-2 victory against Hull when Wolves won the Championship.
Benik Afobe
One player who has come to Wolves in two different January windows. Afobe first joined the Old Gold in the 2014/15 season.
Once again, Jackett had a difficult November but his side recovered and were back on the play-off hunt by January.
However, the club were still after a striker and Afobe had done well on loan to MK Dons. As a result, Wolves brought him in from Arsenal for around £2 million.
Upon arrival, the striker quickly made a sensational partnership with Dicko and Bakary Sako as the club narrowly missed out on the playoffs.
Afobe was then sold in January 2016 to Bournemouth before returning two years later. With Wolves hunting for promotion yet again, Leo Bonatini’s goals had dried up.
The striker was therefore tasked to come in and ensure the title was secured by the end of the season. Afobe did exactly that, as he scored six goals to help secure Premier League football for Wolves once more.
Matheus Cunha
Cunha was part of Wolves’ immense January window in 2023 which saw multiple new faces come through the door.
The Brazilian was the first signing Julen Lopetegui made as the Old Gold manager, with the attacker initally joining on loan with the view of a permanent deal.
While Cunha struggled in his first season at the club, he was still brought in permently. Then, under the guidance of Gary O’Neil, the 25-year-old quickly became the club’s best player.
In the 2023/24 campaign, Cunha netted a memorable goal past West Brom in a 2-0 victory over the Baggies in the FA Cup. Following this, the Brazilian continued his form into the following season despite Wolves’ awful record.
While Cunha’s future at Wolves is uncertain, there is no doubt that the attacker has been great value for money.