The January 2024 "Will we actually sign a striker or just Che Adams/Kieffer Moore" Transfer Thread

[Tredman]

The fact they can’t be bothered to put a bit of paint around the ground says everything about Fosun’s intentions.

 

[Del Woppio]

High priest of club simps

In reality, the events of last month will need to be judged in the context of what happens in the summer, when the purse strings could be loosened a little

 

[C.L.D]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1753363224026649004

to add from lower in that thread:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1753363619604042182

This squad is smaller than under Nuno, the forwards depth relying on solely on a untested youth player and a guy currently in Asia. Imagine being an actual football person inside the club (GON at least, maybe Hobbs if he hasnt gone full Sellars by now) hearing those excuses and trying to keep a straight face. Lmao

None of that stuff in thread is surprising, it's what people on here have been saying over and over about Fosun and our transfer policies, it's solely cash flow that's the problem, not the ffp line club trots out and journos accept uncritically.

This season we've lucked out with how well the team is doing under a new coach, but this line of action from the club will only lead to being in a relegation scrap. It seems so self-defeating. Deja-vu from when they decided to just...coast through after Nuno got the team into 7th twice.

 

[The Saturday Boy]

to add from lower in that thread:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1753363619604042182

This squad is smaller than under Nuno, the forwards depth relying on solely on a untested youth player and a guy currently in Asia. Imagine being an actual football person inside the club (GON at least, maybe Hobbs if he hasnt gone full Sellars by now) hearing those excuses and trying to keep a straight face. Lmao

None of that stuff in thread is surprising, it's what people on here have been saying over and over about Fosun and our transfer policies, it's solely cash flow that's the problem, not the ffp line club trots out and journos accept uncritically.

This season we've lucked out with how well the team is doing under a new coach, but this line of action from the club will only lead to being in a relegation scrap. It seems so self-defeating. Deja-vu from when they decided to just...coast through after Nuno got the team into 7th twice.

I think it is fairly obvious there isn’t going to be much in the way of cash investment from Fosun, that is now well established. I don’t think there has been since their initial investment. When they came to the club they wanted to move to an out of town multi purpose stadium to increase revenue…that got knocked on the head quickly, other revenue streams have been relatively minimal.

That leaves us as a player trading club and getting this wrong will cause issues (Silva and Guedes) and the absence is of sales in January translates to an absence of purchases. There was obviously some interest in players but “the finances“ didn’t work. The issue for me is not that the “finances didn’t work” but that it is two successive windows where the goalposts have changed without any obvious reason.

There will have to be sales in the summer. Neto, Kilman, Gomes, Hwang, Cunha, Toti, Ait-Nori, H Bueno, Semedo - any bids for these players will be considered. We have just had two barren windows but seem to be improving but I doubt that is sustainable.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

I think it is fairly obvious there isn’t going to be much in the way of cash investment from Fosun, that is now well established. I don’t think there has been since their initial investment. When they came to the club they wanted to move to an out of town multi purpose stadium to increase revenue…that got knocked on the head quickly, other revenue streams have been relatively minimal.

That leaves us as a player trading club and getting this wrong will cause issues (Silva and Guedes) and the absence is of sales in January translates to an absence of purchases. There was obviously some interest in players but “the finances“ didn’t work. The issue for me is not that the “finances didn’t work” but that it is two successive windows where the goalposts have changed without any obvious reason.

There will have to be sales in the summer. Neto, Kilman, Gomes, Hwang, Cunha, Toti, Ait-Nori, H Bueno, Semedo - any bids for these players will be considered. We have just had two barren windows but seem to be improving but I doubt that is sustainable.

If, as seems likely, that is their approach going forward the big question is whether when things go wrong, as they always do, and we end up in a relegation battle will they be prepared to throw money at it like they did last January?

If player trading is the way forward the most important thing is having a good manager. They royally fucked up with Zenga and got lucky that their refusal to accept Lage was a cretin coincided with a World Cup and Lop was able to save us. Their record on managerial appointments certainly doesn’t inspire.

Without getting European football our income stream will grow very slowly and that income will need to go on keeping us in the PL so I’m not sure how Fosun make any money from us. From a business perspective selling us now as an established mid table PL side is the only thing that makes sense.

 

[Tony Towner]

We can see with posts on here some fans will accept anything, but eventually a large proportion will turn when it's clear to them that our ambitions are to finish 4th from bottom every season and the FFP line continues to be rolled out,.Palace being an example currently, it got close last season.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

We can see with posts on here some fans will accept anything, but eventually a large proportion will turn when it's clear to them that our ambitions are to finish 4th from bottom every season and the FFP line continues to be rolled out,.Palace being an example currently, it got close last season.

Palace seem to be the team Fosun want to emulate. Palace have done really well to stay in the PL with on top ten finish (10th!) in 9 years but rarely threatened with relegation. They have one big advantage over us which is being in London. London is a draw for many players but equally many don’t want to leave London so they’re in a better position to pick up the likes of Eze and Olise. We have done well exploiting other markets most notably Portugal but that has dried up of late. To compete based on player trading it helps if you have a usp to attract players. Brighton have their owner Tony Bloom’s algorithm, Palace have London as an attraction, not sure what we have if we don’t want to bung Mendes the odd £30m for dross line Guedes to grease his palm for a few bargains.

Having experienced the Tommy Docherty and Sammy Chapman era I’m very happy being in the PL. I realise European football is unlikely and am happy bloodying a few noses like Spurs and City this year. I’m not sure younger fans in particular will have the same view but I’m a realist and know that the only way we get above the glass ceiling is with new owners who are in it for glory not a return on investment. That seems unlikely so in the meantime I can only hope we avoid relegation and continue to have a few memorable games each year amongst the dross and disappointment.

A decent cup run would be nice too!

 

[Tony Towner]

I don't disagree with what you say, I don't particularly want Fosun pumping more money into the club, although it would be nice. I'm happy for us to be self sufficient playing squad wise and accept with that mid table is our likely finish and our better players will be sold to reinvest in the squad.
I just don't want that happening whilst
a) they continously lie either directly or via the media to both the fans and their employees about finances and motives
b) letting the infrastructure around the club crumble
c) being the only PL club who puts up prices every single season and charges top half admission for bottom 6 ambitions

 

[The Saturday Boy]

Until/unless the rules are changed income is more important than rich owners. Even Newcastle are having to temper their spending after an initial investment from the owners. We won’t be able to signifcantly increase our income with a relatively small stadium with Asda and the ring road on our doorstep preventing any significant expansion.
in 2022, our match day income was £0.46million. Newcastle £1.9 million, Spurs £2.92 million, United £4 million. Without stadium expansion, our revenue isn’t going to increase much…increase season tickets by 10% and it is still peanuts. 10000 more seats is much more lucrative but requires investment (and a short term loss if capacity is reduced).

To grow, we have to move but I don’t think Fosun are invested enough in the club to have that debate with supporters.

 

[Tony Towner]

There are games that owners can play to increase income within the rules should they wish to do so. Blues' stadium sponsorship last week an example, Newcastle's record shirt sponsorship another. I believe you have to prove it's a market price and that's part of City's problem I think, but it can be done.

As you say the payback on a stadium move is too distant for Fosun to be interested irrespective of any fan objections.

 

[Keef]

Until/unless the rules are changed income is more important than rich owners. Even Newcastle are having to temper their spending after an initial investment from the owners. We won’t be able to signifcantly increase our income with a relatively small stadium with Asda and the ring road on our doorstep preventing any significant expansion.
in 2022, our match day income was £0.46million. Newcastle £1.9 million, Spurs £2.92 million, United £4 million. Without stadium expansion, our revenue isn’t going to increase much…increase season tickets by 10% and it is still peanuts. 10000 more seats is much more lucrative but requires investment (and a short term loss if capacity is reduced).

To grow, we have to move but I don’t think Fosun are invested enough in the club to have that debate with supporters.

You say we have to move, to where?
Nowhere big enough in Wolverhampton, or surrounding areas, unless we move to by J11 at Cannock, or up to the other side of the M54 opposite Land Rover, that’s staffs council doubt they’d be interested

 

[Kenny]

It was the Stadium situation that ended Darymple's time with us I think.

Leading up to him vanishing there was a lot of stadium talk and he went all in on you can't leave Molineux.
Fosun were always very cautious on the sponsorship and being seen as inflating value as well, I think because of the attention we were getting from our transfer dealings. Is it just the South Bank and Training Ground they have their name on?

At the time of both of these things they had a serious investment in us but as with a lot of things at the club it all died on its arse during Covid.

From interviews last year it seems Hobbs now has an involvement in the Stadium and future plans which is odd for me.

 

[Kenny]

You say we have to move, to where?
Nowhere big enough in Wolverhampton, or surrounding areas, unless we move to by J11 at Cannock, or up to the other side of the M54 opposite Land Rover, that’s staffs council doubt they’d be interested

Don't need to move.

Can do a Spurs style move but would need Asda to piss off. Almost had the chance to do that with ease but the Government blocked the Asda/Sainsbury merger. 100% that Asda closes if that goes ahead.

 

[Del Woppio]

Despite their early ambitious noises, they've been clear that the stadium won't be touched because the ROI is too long term.

That says it all about their plan for the club - they're not willing to make long term investments for the good of the club, because they're quite happy with the current 10th-17th annual bumble.

It's the only clear and obvious way to increase the club's revenue and give us a better chance of competing in the top half - but being competitive isn't the aim, it's just about protecting the current value of their asset with as minimal financial intervention as possible. If the odd cup run or ECL appearance happens at the same time, that's a happy accident

 

[Wilf Wolf]

Despite their early ambitious noises, they've been clear that the stadium won't be touched because the ROI is too long term.

That says it all about their plan for the club - they're not willing to make long term investments for the good of the club, because they're quite happy with the current 10th-17th annual bumble.

It's the only clear and obvious way to increase the club's revenue and give us a better chance of competing in the top half - but being competitive isn't the aim, it's just about protecting the current value of their asset with as minimal financial intervention as possible. If the odd cup run or ECL appearance happens at the same time, that's a happy accident

So why not cash in now rather than risk relegation and a crash in value?

 

[Wilf Wolf]

I don't disagree with what you say, I don't particularly want Fosun pumping more money into the club, although it would be nice. I'm happy for us to be self sufficient playing squad wise and accept with that mid table is our likely finish and our better players will be sold to reinvest in the squad.
I just don't want that happening whilst
a) they continously lie either directly or via the media to both the fans and their employees about finances and motives
b) letting the infrastructure around the club crumble
c) being the only PL club who puts up prices every single season and charges top half admission for bottom 6 ambitions

I agree entirely, especially the ST prices. That said we say we want them to maximise income everywhere else so they’d argue ST prices are no different. I know all the arguments about long term impacts of their policy but reality is enough renew that the waiting list is still big enough for them to justify prices.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

You can only sell what someone will buy.

People like to kid themselves there's a queue of bidders with the means to run Wolves more ambitiously but there unequivocally isn't.

 

[Del Woppio]

So why not cash in now rather than risk relegation and a crash in value?

The value will continue to increase without them having to actually do anything. TV money is only ever going one way.

 

[Deutsch Wolf]

The value will continue to increase without them having to actually do anything. TV money is only ever going one way.

Not so much, when you factor in inflation the domestic rights have started to flatline with the last two deals.

 

[Wilf Wolf]

The value will continue to increase without them having to actually do anything. TV money is only ever going one way.

But that all goes in running the club. Expenditure rising to meet income.