Many feared for Wolverhampton Wanderers ahead of the 2023/24 campaign following Julen Lopetegui’s sudden departure days before the season kicked off.

However, Gary O’Neil, who had been unceremoniously dumped by Bournemouth several months prior, swiftly steadied the ship at Molineux and guided Wolves to a mediocre finish with some impressive results along the way. The aim for the coming campaign is to build on those solid foundations.

However, that won’t be straightforward. Key contributors Max Kilman and Pedro Neto have departed the Midlands for London, while recruitment has been fairly uninspiring to date. Once again, O’Neil will be asked to overachieve in 2024/25.

Here is 90min’s guide to Wolves’ Premier League campaign.

2024/25 will be Wolves’ seventh consecutive season in the Premier League and last term was their lowest finish in the top flight since they were relegated at the foot of the table in 2011/12. Bar two seventh-placed finishes on their return to the Premier League, the Old Gold have had to settle for mid-table or bottom-half placings in recent times.

The cup competitions haven’t been too kind to Wolves, either. Three quarter-finals across the last five seasons – including in the Europa League in 2019/20 – is the best they have been able to muster, with a strong cup run potentially a priority heading into the new season.

Wolves currently boast a big squad with not many numbers left vacant. That could change come the end of the transfer window, although the number seven is now available to any new signings following Neto’s exit.

Jorgen Strand Larsen, who has signed on loan from Celta Vigo with the deal potentially becoming permanent, has nabbed the number nine, while the exciting Rodrigo Gomes has gone for number 19.

*Numbers subject to change before end of transfer window

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Wolves have added several new forwards to their attacking line but they all lack Premier League experience. That’s something Brazilian attacker Matheus Cunha now has plenty of after a slow start to life in England and he posted some encouraging numbers last season.

Cunha netted 12 Premier League goals for Wolves in 2023/24 and went on several promising runs of form, especially around the halfway point of last season. The former Atletico Madrid man has incredible technical quality and an eye for goal, even if he needs to iron out some inconsistencies in and around the penalty area.

If O’Neil’s men are going to thrive in the upcoming campaign, they will lean heavily on Cunha.

Looking at Wolves’ squad and summer business, it’s difficult to envisage the Midlands club pulling up any trees in 2024/25. While they should steer clear of a relegation battle, a lack of quality in both boxes could prove detrimental to their chances of bettering last season’s finish.

In fact, they could finish exactly where they did last season, likely securing the odd scalp but also failing to claim victory in some winnable fixtures. They’re likely to be consistently inconsistent, which may not be enough for O’Neil to keep his job come May.

Wolves 2024/25 Premier League prediction – 14th

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