Wolverhampton Wanderers are facing a critical January transfer window, with a Football Manager 2026 simulation predicting a major squad overhaul as they battle against the odds to avoid Premier League relegation.
A Season on the Brink
The 2025/26 campaign has been nothing short of disastrous for Wolves. Despite a spirited 1-1 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford in their final game of 2025, the league table makes for brutal viewing. Rob Edwards' side are currently 15 points from safety, making a drop to the Championship appear overwhelmingly likely.
This precarious position has created a significant dilemma for the club's hierarchy: whether to write off the season and conserve resources for a Championship rebuild, or to invest heavily in the January market in a last-ditch attempt to stage a great escape.
Predicted Incomings: A £20m Gamble and More
According to the simulation, Wolves opt for the aggressive approach. The headline act is a £20 million move for Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil, completed mere days into the window. The highly-rated 23-year-old, often tipped for a Championship loan, is instead acquired outright to bolster Wolves' engine room.
He is not the only new face predicted to arrive at Molineux. The simulation forecasts five further signings:
- Jonas Hoffman: The 32-year-old German international winger joins from Bayer Leverkusen for a modest £1.7 million.
- Rony: A £6 million deal brings the Brazilian forward, who has a prolific goalscoring record in his homeland, from Palmeiras.
- Leon Grgic: The striker arrives from Austrian side SK Sturm Graz for £8.5 million.
- Baylee Dipepa: The Southampton wonderkid striker is signed for £5 million.
- Cian Ashcroft: Cardiff City forward joins for a fee of £7 million.
Major Sales to Fund the Spree
Such significant expenditure requires major outgoings, and the simulation predicts a high-profile departure. Midfielder Andre is sold to Borussia Dortmund for a substantial £59 million, which largely finances the incoming business.
Other predicted exits include midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde moving to Middlesbrough for £9 million, defender Nigel Lonwijk joining Luton Town for £2 million, and goalkeeper Sam Johnstone completing a £1 million switch to Serie A's Cremonese.
While this is a fictional scenario generated by a video game simulation, it starkly outlines the scale of the challenge facing Wolves and manager Rob Edwards. The January window represents their final, slim chance to alter the course of a season that is rapidly slipping away, with the club's Premier League status hanging by a thread.
