Wolves Pushing To Break Into The Big Six
Wolverhampton Wanderers have been completely transformed as a football club since their takeover by the Fosun International Group back in 2016.
Now a team challenging to feature in the Champions League next season, Wolves look to be a team moving in the right direction both on and off the field.
Wolves On The Up
The West Midlands outfit were a side languishing in mid-table in the Championship when they were taken over six years ago. This season football tips are suggesting Wolves are potential outsiders for a top-four finish in the Premier League at odds of 225/1. To go from a side that had somewhat of a history of yo-yoing around the top two divisions, to one mixing it with the best clubs in England for European football, is a remarkable achievement for this historic club.
Fosun International can take plenty of plaudits for some of the key decisions that have helped bring success on the field for Wolves in recent years. One of the best calls from the Wolves’ hierarchy was the move to bring Portuguese tactician Nuno Espirito Santo to the club back in 2017. Having just had a spell with giants Porto in Portugal’s top flight, Wolves managed to convince Nuno to take up a new challenge in England’s second tier.
After a six-year absence, the former Valencia boss was able to help Wolves cruise to the Championship title in just his first year in England. Not only were Wolverhampton just satisfied with retaining their Premier League status, they went on to finish up in seventh place in their first season back at the head table of English football. Nuno saw his time with Wolves come to an end after the 2020-21 season but his influence on the club, with a 145-year history, can not be underestimated.
Champions League Can Take Wolves to New Heights
With another Portuguese head coach in Bruno Lage now at the helm, Wolves are once again pushing for a return to European football. The competition at the top of the table to secure a top-four finish this season is as fierce as ever, with up to eight clubs challenging for those places. While a place in the Europa League might be more realistic, Wolves will not be giving up hope on causing an upset and earning Champions League football for next season.
The quality of players the club could attract in the summer if Champions League football was heading to Molineux would dramatically increase. The financial boost it would provide the club would also have a big influence on improving not only the playing squad but also the facilities at Wolves. The club have plans to expand Molineux to a stadium with a 50,000 capacity, in a move that again would raise Wolves to the next level. Landing European football for next season could bring that aim of expanding the stadium into focus.
Cracking the ‘big six’ is a tough proposition that all the other clubs in England are trying to achieve. At present, it looks like Wolves are one of the frontrunners in the chasing pack.
