With the 2025 January transfer window now underway, we look back on Wolves’ three worst-ever signings in the first month of the year.
January has long been an important month for the Old Gold in the transfer market. Wolves would have arguably been relegated in the 2022/23 season if it wasn’t for an abundance of signings throughout the month.
Players such as Matheus Cunha, Joao Gomes and Mario Lemina all walked through the door and have now become some of the club’s best players.
Even in previous years, this one-month period has helped change Wolves’ season for the better. Signings such as Benik Afobe in the 2015/16 and the 2017/18 campaigns helped regain momentum for the club.
Now, Wolves will need a repeat of this. The club’s Premier League status hangs in the balance with Vitor Pereira brought in to try and save the team.
Funds are believed to be available in January, with a defender needed after the backline’s abysmal form.
However, despite the club having ambitions to bring in players this month, they need to ensure they get it right. There have been plenty of failed transfers in January and here, we looked at the three worst.
Eggert Jonsson
The Icelandic midfielder came into the club from Scottish side Hearts in January 2012. Wolves were amidst a battle to stay in the Premier League with Mick McCarthy under an increasing amount of pressure.
After a successful time for the Jam Tarts, Wolves brought Jonsson in as the club’s only permanent transfer that month.
His time at the Molineux club was not successful as he only made five appearances for the rest of the campaign before Wolves got relegated.
In the Championship, the midfielder struggled for minutes again, making only two appearances before being loaned out to Charlton.
After this, Wolves then chose to terminate the remainder of Jonsson’s contract in the summer of 2013 with two years left as the club prepared for League One football.
Leon Clarke
Coming into the club in January 2014, many hoped that they would now be seeing the best of Leon Clarke.
The striker originally came through Wolves academy before being sold to Sheffield Wednesday in 2007.
After selling Leigh Griffiths to Celtic in the 2013/14 season, manager Kenny Jackett was on the hunt for a striker. Clarke netted 15 league goals in 23 games for Coventry so Wolves decided to bring him back to the club for around £750,000.
However, his second spell at the club was not fruitful. In one and a half years at the club, Clarke only scored three goals before being released at the end of his contract.
What makes matters worse is that Wolves went for Leon Clarke instead of his teammate Callum Wilson who was also at Coventry at the time. Wilson has since gone on to become a Premier League striker for Newcastle and an England international.
Willian Jose
In the 2020/21 season, Wolves were desperate for a striker. The club’s main man, Raul Jimenez suffered and head injury against Arsenal and was out for the campaign.
Youngster Fabio Silva was Wolves’ only recognised first-team striker and the Portuguese man was struggling for goals up top.
Therefore, in January the club opted to bring in Real Sociedad striker Willian Jose on loan for the rest of the season.
The Brazilian had a good record in Spain and had netted over 11 goals in his last four full campaigns. However, he had little luck in the Black Country.
Jose only managed to score for Wolves once, in a 1-0 win over bottom-placed Sheffield United.
As a result, Jose returned to Spain in the summer with few positives to take away from his Wolves career.