Wolves are active in the January transfer window but suffered heartache by missing out on Manu Silva.
Out of nowhere, it was reported that Wolves bid £10m for Silva, a defensive midfielder tearing up the Portuguese league.
Vitor Pereira admitted he wanted a new midfielder and wasted no time sounding out Silva, who earned rave reviews in Portugal.
As Mario Lemina’s future remains uncertain, Silva could’ve been the perfect replacement for the former captain however, it wasn’t meant to be.
Manu Silva speaks for the first time since rejecting Wolves
Silva was ‘on his way’ to Wolves when it was reported that Benfica had hijacked the deal, abruptly ending the Old Gold’s chances of signing the 23-year-old.
It was a huge blow for Pereira, who had a significant talent in his hands just as Bruno Lage snatched the midfielder from his grasp.
While it’s clear why Silva chose Benfica over Wolves, with the Portuguese giants playing for silverware every season and in the Champions League, the player himself has now spoken.
After Benfica’s hijack, the deal moved rapidly, seeing Silva unveiled soon after to the delight of former Wolves boss Lage.
Upon signing for The Eagles, Silva expressed his desire to ‘fulfil’ dreams with Benfica, suggesting why he rejected Wolves.
“I have many goals, many dreams to fulfil. The biggest of them all is to be a champion,” Silva told Benfica’s official website.
“To win titles for Benfica. That’s the mentality, I see myself very much in that mentality, and I’m going to work hard to achieve those goals.”
With an offer from a Champions League club on the table, the player’s decision explains itself with regard to Wolves’ current position in the Premier League.
Time is moving quickly in the transfer window and Wolves are on track to welcome two players after missing out on Silva, eyeing a defender and a midfielder.
Wolves’ form will continue to impact transfer activity
While the Premier League is an attractive offer for overseas players, the prospect of being relegated from the English top flight is not.
Wolves’ form has to turn around promptly, as attractive transfer targets will continue to favour a move elsewhere if things do not improve.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 14 |  West HamWest Ham | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 27 | 43 | -16 | 26 |
| 15 |  TottenhamTottenham | 22 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 45 | 35 | 10 | 24 |
| 16 |  EvertonEverton | 21 | 4 | 8 | 9 | 18 | 28 | -10 | 20 |
| 17 |  WolvesWolves | 22 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 32 | 51 | -19 | 16 |
| 18 |  IpswichIpswich | 22 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 20 | 43 | -23 | 16 |
| 19 |  LeicesterLeicester | 22 | 3 | 5 | 14 | 23 | 48 | -25 | 14 |
| 20 |  SouthamptonSouthampton | 22 | 1 | 3 | 18 | 15 | 50 | -35 | 6 |
Jeff Shi and Fosun must realise the state of the club, not just on the pitch, as failure to sufficiently recruit this window could be massively detrimental to Wolves’ hopes of survival.
The Old Gold were recently in France scouting a new defender but, it remains unclear who the club’s next transfer target will be.
In what is a tough road ahead for the Midlands club, the first and arguably most important hurdle is bolstering their transfer identity before time runs out.