Sat precariously inside the Premier League’s bottom three, Wolverhampton Wanderers have instantly turned their attention towards handing new manager Vitor Pereira some much-needed fresh faces and are reportedly pushing to sign a defensive addition.
Wolves transfer news
After a late 2-1 defeat against fellow strugglers Ipswich Town saw the end of Gary O’Neil’s reign, Wolves have turned the way of Pereira to pull off the great escape in his first job back in European football since 2021. A manager with plenty of experience, Pereira has quite the task on his hands but will at least have the January transfer window to mark his stamp on his new side.
Welcoming the 56-year-old to the Midlands, Wolves chairman Jeff Shi told the club’s official website: “We are delighted to welcome Vitor Pereira to Wolves as the new head coach of our men’s first-team. Vitor is a highly respected and experienced coach who has achieved success across different leagues and will bring a new approach for the test ahead.
“This is a challenging moment for the club, and we want to thank Vitor for taking on this responsibility. We have full confidence in his ability to guide us back on track, alongside the players and staff, and the entire club will be united in supporting him to achieve success.”
Pereira's own Neto: Wolves can land PL ace who's "a handful for defenders"
Wolves are looking for a boost to help them survive relegation
ByJoe NuttallDec 21, 2024
As the winter window approaches, it’s no surprise that rumours are already emerging potential reinforcements, with the likes of Pascal Struijk already threatening to steal the headlines. The Leeds United defender has seemingly emerged as a January target to finally solve Wolves’ defensive crisis, but he’s not the only one to be linked.
According to Graeme Bailey for The Boot Room, Wolves are now pushing to sign Daniel Ballard from Sunderland following an impressive spell in the Championship. At 25 years old and in his best years, however, it’s not just the Midlands club who are interested in Ballard ahead of 2025. Wolves reportedly face competition from Aston Villa, Brighton & Hove Albion and even Newcastle United, among others, in the race to sign the defender.
"Leader" Ballard would finally replace Kilman
Impressing at Sunderland, Ballard is a player who looks destined for the Premier League with or without the Black Cats in a move that would make up for an early Arsenal exit as a young defender. A January switch to Wolves would certainly make sense too, given just how much they need a defensive boost to finally replace Max Kilman, who joined West Ham United in a summer move.
Ballard has earned plenty of praise in recent years, including from Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill, who told reporters as relayed by the Sunderland Echo in March: “Dan is a young player but he is an experienced player in his team at Sunderland in a very young club side and he brings a lot to us. He is one of our more experienced players, along with Paddy McNair and Jordan Thompson.
“They’re pretty much our most experienced players in this group so it’s nice to have Daniel back. He’s in a good place and when you see him playing for Sunderland you see a natural leader. Hopefully you see that emerge at international level as well.”