Wolves have missed out on signing five major footballing stars over recent years who could have changed the history of the club.
Throughout any transfer window, rumours are rife. Loads of players will be linked with Wolves, however, few will actually make the switch to Molineux.
Yet, there have been plenty of occasions where the rumours are true but the club are unable to get the deal over the line for a number of reasons.
While many of these have little effect on the season, some players Wolves have missed out on could have propelled the club to a different level.
Below, Molineux News has highlighted five players Wolves almost signed over recent years that could have changed history and made the club a force to be reckoned with.
Ivan Toney
Brentford striker and England superstar Ivan Toney was extremely close to joining Wolves back in November 2014.
With the club on a poor run in the Championship, it was clear that a striker was needed. Therefore, on the loan deadline day, Wolves aimed to bring in Toney who was at Northampton at the time.
However, the deal did not go through, with the Molineux side reporting that he failed his medical.
It was later revealed by the striker that he was given a squad number and met the players and the staff before Wolves turned him down due to him having scoliosis in the back.
He said: “Before I went to Newcastle I was supposed to go to Wolves. I got to Wolves, I met everybody, went into the changing rooms, got my number on and took pictures.
“I went to the contract site and there was a bit of talk with my agent and the club on some things that related back to us and it confused me and my family, we didn’t know what was going on. Then, out of nowhere, the club came out and said we aren’t looking to sign you anymore due to you having scoliosis in your back.
“I was so confused. From getting a squad number, meeting all the players, meeting all the staff for them to then come out and say your scoliosis in your back is the reason we aren’t looking to sign you, it was like, is that really the reason or is there more behind it.
“I then had to go back to Northampton after saying my goodbyes, I was supposed to be signing for Wolves but the next day I was back at Northampton training with the boys. Everyone was asking what was happening and the manager sat me down and said don’t dwell on that, I’m sure other things will come into place. A few weeks later, Newcastle were interested and I went there.”
Emi Martinez
The current Aston Villa goalkeeper is often regarded as the best in the world in his position.
In recent years, the Argentine has lifted the Copa America twice as well as the World Cup. On top of this, last season, he helped Villa achieve Champions League football.
However, his career path could have been completely different. Back in the 2015/16 campaign, Martinez joined Wolves on loan in the Championship to compete with Carl Ikeme for the number one jersey.
Here, he impressed and made 15 appearances in Old Gold in all competitions.
As a result, Martinez admitted that Wolves then tried to buy the goalkeeper for what would have been a then-record fee for the Molineux side.
Speaking to Ben Foster on Fozcast, Martinez said: “I remember when I was young, I had a loan from Wolves; Wolves offered £10 million to buy me.
“That was a long time ago, some big money. I thought ‘ooof, thinking about it, oh no no stay stay’, they signed Petr Cech. Like cheers, one of the best ever goalies in the Premier League so how can I; it was a massive climb to do it again. So there were always blocks on the way.”
Vitinha
Perhaps the most famous mess-up on this list, Vitinha was a Wolves man during the 2020/21 campaign, on loan from Porto.
While he never set the world alight in the season, it was clear that the youngster had talent and could go on to become a great player.
Thankfully, Wolves had an option to buy and Nuno was reportedly keen to purchase the attacking midfielder. However, upon Bruno Lage’s appointment, he decided against signing Vitinha permanently.
Now the midfielder is a regular for both PSG in the Champions League as well as for Portugal.
Gareth Bale
One man who was once easily one of the best players in the world was Gareth Bale. The Welshman tore up both the Premier League and La Liga.
During this time, he won numerous trophies as well as broke the transfer record in 2013 when he signed for Real Madrid. Five Champions League titles later, he retired in 2023.
He is now widely regarded as one of the best British players of all time. However, he could have once joined Wolves back in 2009 if not for a late switch-up.
Former Wolves favourite Kevin Doyle explained to the Daily Mail that the Welshman was set to join the club on loan before an injury in the Spurs squad saw it fall through.
“I remember he nearly came to us on loan in one of the transfer windows,” said Doyle in 2017. “But I think someone got injured at Spurs and the deal fell through.
“That shows how far he has come in the last six or seven years. But I think that someone got injured at Spurs and the deal fell through.”
Enzo Fernandez
The final player on this list is the most recent transfer that Wolves failed to complete.
Before he was well-known in the football industry, Enzo Fernandez was playing for River Plate in Argentina.
The midfielder’s form in his home country caught the eye of Wolves who sent chief scout Matt Hobbs to complete the deal.
With the deal potentially costing £17 million, Jeff Shi then decided against triggering Fernandez’s release clause.
Instead in 2022, he moved to Benfica where he was magnificent. On top of this, he won the World Cup with Argentina which eventually saw him win a move to Chelsea for a then British-record fee of £107 million.
Even if Fernandez hadn’t stayed at Wolves very long, it is clear that the club could have made some serious profit which could have helped them against their upcoming FFP troubles.