28 Aug 2026 13:31:00
Anderlecht and Wolves still talking. Looks as if Traore could leave. Reports saying 4mill euros plus add ons. Traore is up for the move. I think Wolves have given permission for Traore to go.

1.) 28 Aug 2026
28 Aug 2026 14:44:43
Rumours circulating now: Hwang is off. He's signed for someone, but not yet clear who. Few posts on Twitter about it.

2.) 28 Aug 2026
28 Aug 2026 15:44:24
It would be hypocritical of me to moan about slow Traore going, but he was purchased for Euro 11m and is being sold for Euro4m.
So not a brilliant signing, especially given that he didn't pull up trees in the handful of games he played for the club whilst he was here.
Nevertheless, it removes his wages and amort from the numerator, and even at Euro4m adds a little bit to the denominator, so positive from an SCR perspective.


However, as most would regard him as preferable to Munetsi as the back up to James, this modest gain does come at a cost from the playing side.
Amazing in this summer of insane transfers, Wolves are finding out that insanity only goes so far!

3.) 28 Aug 2026
28 Aug 2026 16:38:31
I'd rather keep Munetsi than Traore. The guy never stops running, and with a bit more time, I think he will be the ideal player to link the defence to the attack with his runs, which will inevitably pull opposition players away from their own defensive duties.

4.) 28 Aug 2026
28 Aug 2026 18:47:24
Trouble is, good, this is football, not athletics. Having said that, the Championship is Munetsi's level, so he should hopefully be able to do some sort of job.

5.) 28 Aug 2026
28 Aug 2026 19:23:15
TFIOG, while it looks a loss, Traore was an exciting young midfield talent when he was signed.

Many clubs were interested in him.

The issue with youngsters is all the top coaches are sucked in by big clubs.

It would be good to see the club come up with a different project for developing the academy in the future. I know there are links with Wolverhampton Grammar, but maybe the whole academy needs a rejuvenation so we have a better offering, both football wise and personal development wise, till academy players reach 21 or 22.

Maybe a relationship with Mendes coaches and a specialised institution solely for the academy would help them football wise.



I actually think the Leicester academy is too big in that it loses the connection between the squads and the path to the first team.

Also, word of note, players under 22 yrs old are still young; everyone develops at different rates. Fans need to understand that at all clubs.

But I do think it should be more like rugby in that rugby players are in full time education or training until 21. They have qualifications to take on different professions after their playing career. This ultimately keeps them disciplined and focussed rather than having loads of money and thinking they have made it at such a young age.

6.) 28 Aug 2026
28 Aug 2026 20:20:57
2ndgen, fair points, although worrying that you feel he was poorly developed and that the Wolves academy is failing. The number of players successfully coming out of it, though, maybe backs your assertion.
For me, though, he has always looked clumsy on the ball, and a better athlete than a footballer, and so I was not surprised he didn't develop.


Ironic that he is competing with Munetsi, who seems like a similar player. {You can add Toti to that list as well!}
I acknowledge, though, that I am biased in favour of players that can do things I can't, like control the ball, rather than people who can do what I can/could do i.e. run!

7.) 29 Aug 2026
29 Aug 2026 01:39:20
Fair points, TFIOG. I don't think changing manager every 18 months, and his injuries, have helped him. During the same period, we have had Fabio Silva, another player that was wasted in my opinion. He did okay aged 18 in his first season, but wasn't mentored or supported in the right way. Yes, we can say money would make him happy, but I do think there's more to how different players tick. Silva played against Villa in April 2023 and was amazing, and got MOTM. I think it was more that Podence played, and he played it to his feet, rather than the ball being played to him as a target man.

I think the academy is a concern, as that's how clubs our size keep making pure profit. Chelsea broke all the rules in 2004 and have never looked back since, bringing in £100m plus a season from academy sales.

Surely we should look for ideas out of the box and develop an environment where we scout locally in the Black Country, Staffordshire, Shropshire, and Herefordshire, and develop players here.



Also, I've heard from a scout that a lot of players are chosen purely on athletic ability, 6ft plus, fast, etc. This scout worked at Liverpool; it was believed that their coaches could develop their football skills. Remember, the pool the big clubs have, though, is probably twenty times the pool we have, I would imagine.

But I just don't think our programme is that exciting to possible recruits, so you end up with the leftovers.

Some players I feel that could have developed more at Wolves, though, Burr, Lembiska, Silva, Vinagre, Giles, and Doyle, to a certain extent.

The club didn't really have the path to develop these players.

Great to see Ryan get his MOTM against United last Saturday.