Wolves’ recruitment in the summer of 2025 is now coming under the microscope, and there is just as much talk about players that didn’t sign, as talk about the ones that did.
Wanderers have been relegated after a dismal season, and recruitment is a huge factor.
Wolves brought in new players who weren’t proven or experienced at Premier League level, and have paid the ultimate price.
Should any of these NOT be on this list? And are there any who aren’t there who SHOULD be on? 🤔
The Athletic have claimed Wolves would like these nine players to stay after relegation…
That does not mean to say that players from overseas with no experience should not have been brought in.
It’s just that Wolves undoubtedly needed more proven quality for the top-flight, given how many players they were losing.
One man who didn’t have Premier League experience, but has gone on to shine in the division is Anton Stach – who is a player Wolves apparently looked into signing.
Wolves wanted Anton Stach but couldn’t pull off deal
Wolves didn’t sign a midfielder last summer and that really proved to be a big mistake.
According to the E&S, Wolves actually did show interest in signing Anton Stach. He was a player Vitor Pereira wanted, but the club were unable to pull off a deal and the player joined Leeds United for £17 million (via BBC Sport).
It’s unlikely that his signing alone would have changed Wolves’ fortunes.
But looking at what he’s done this term, he is a player Wanderers will surely have regrets over.
Stach has been instrumental for Leeds, who look as though they will survive relegation fairly comfortably. He’s made 30 appearances so far, and scored four goals and made three assists.
And some will remember that stunning free-kick Stach scored against Wolves earlier this season at Molineux.
Stach was recently the subject of a feature piece from Sky Sports, which outlined his impact this term for Leeds.
In it, he is compared to Bruno Fernandes for his creativity. They said of him: “No player has created more chances from set plays in the Premier League this season than Stach’s 27, level with Fernandes.
“The Leeds cause is profiteering in a big way because of it, with a higher share of their league goals scored via set-pieces than any other side (13/37).
“Stach is personally responsible for four of those.”
Daniel Farke has hailed Anton Stach for his impact
One man who knows Stach very well is his manager Daniel Farke, who really sang Stach’s praises recently.
He said (via BBC Sport): “Anton has been fantastic. He’s played a crucial role.
“He perfectly embodies our balance, out of being a physical player who can stand up to the intensity and physicality of this league, but also he’s good on the ball. Tactically, he’s spot on.
“He’s also a top character, also good technique and also good at set-pieces.”
Farke was also delighted by how quickly Stach hit the ground running at Elland Road, adding: “It’s very impressive because normally even the top players need time to adapt to the Premier League
“But Anton has more or less been shining from the first game in pre-season and this is quite rare I would say.
“It says a lot about his character and quality and we’re happy to have him back after his little injury.”
By contrast, Wolves’ signings were extremely slow to hit the ground running, barring Ladislav Krejci – and some arguably still haven’t with five games left to play.
That Stach was not signed further emphasises what a poor window it was for Wolves.
Receive a digest of our best Wolverhampton Wanderers content each week direct to your mailbox
