Wolves may have had a successful transfer window this winter, but history suggests the Midlands side is prone to a blunder, having missed out on plenty of star talent.
Boubacar Kamara rejected a transfer to Wolves in 2021 when Bruno Lage was in charge at Molineux, and he’s since become a star midfielder at rivals Aston Villa.
Wolves also tried to sign Ruben Dias in 2019, but Nuno Espirito Santo was put off by the £57 million asking price, with the Portuguese defender becoming world-class at Manchester City instead.
In 2023, Wolves nearly signed Viktor Gyökeres, famously missing out on the Swedish goal machine as owner Jeff Shi wasn’t in the country to finalize a deal.
Gyökeres is now one of the best strikers on the planet at Sporting Lisbon, and he isn’t the only player in that bracket who the Old Gold failed to capture.
Wolves rejected the chance to sign William Saliba before he joined Arsenal
As reported by football.london in July 2019, Wolves had an interest in signing center-back William Saliba from Saint Etienne.
Saliba, who was aged just 18 at the time, was placed on the Wanderers’ list of targets earlier on in that window.
However, once they knew Arsenal was keen to secure the Frenchman’s signature, Wolves reportedly cooled their interest before the Gunners swooped to sign him for £27 million.
In hindsight, that has now turned out to be a disastrous decision, as Saliba has become one of the best defenders in the world, with Rio Ferdinand predicting him to achieve that feat once Virgil van Dijk hangs up his boots.
The 23-year-old has established an immense partnership alongside Gabriel at the Emirates, becoming arguably the best defensive duo in the Premier League.
Supporters of the Old Gold will kick themselves knowing they had a chance to sign him almost six years ago, but there is one Wolves star who could play alongside him in the future.
Matheus Cunha could play alongside Saliba at Arsenal
Wolves talisman Matheus Cunha was a man in demand during the January transfer window as multiple clubs attempted to lure him away from Molineux, including Mikel Arteta’s side.
Arsenal were interested in Cunha during the winter but never lodged a bid for the 25-year-old, although it’s entirely possible the Gunners could return in the summer.
In Cunha’s new contract at Wolves, the club inserted a £62.5 million release clause, which has undoubtedly alerted Arsenal and other European giants.
Interestingly, the £62.5m fee for Cunha can be paid in installments, meaning interested parties will only have to offer an upfront sum before paying the rest of the fee in the future months and years.
For the Premier League strugglers, this is terrible news, but for the clubs trying to sign him, it is music to their ears.
Indeed, with Arsenal looking for a new center-forward, it’s possible the Brazilian superstar could play alongside Saliba next season, adding further salt to the wounds.
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