Vitor Pereira has enjoyed a solid start to life as Wolverhampton Wanderers manager, defeating Leicester City and Manchester United before securing a draw against Tottenham Hotspur in his opening games at the helm.
The 3-0 loss to Nottingham Forest will sting, but considering the Reds are challenging for a place in the top four, perhaps it wasn’t surprising. Pereira will now turn his focus to the January transfer window in a bid to improve his squad, with several areas needing to be bolstered as we enter the second half of the season.
Winter transfer window 2025: All the latest deals from England and Scotland
Find out who is on the move this winter with our comprehensive list of done deals from the Premier League, EFL and Scottish Premiership.
ByStephan GeorgiouFeb 3, 2025
Much will depend on what budget he will have to make improvements, as he could be forced to sell a player or two if the money is right to raise some funds.
As such, who are the rumoured targets doing the rounds recently? And who might be on the move away from Molineux?
Potential Wolves incomings Tim Kleindienst (Borussia Mönchengladbach)
If the Old Gold wish to remain in the Premier League beyond this season, adding more firepower is a priority.
Matheus Cunha may have scored ten goals this term, while Jorgen Strand Larsen has chipped in with seven, but more will be needed over the next few months.
According to German outlet BILD (via Sport Witness), Wolves have shown an interest in striker Tim Kleindienst ahead of a potential move this month.
He only joined Gladbach last summer from Heidenheim, scoring a total of nine goals while registering six assists across the first six months of the season.
Wolves have already made an enquiry for the striker, while Gladbach managing director Roland Virkus has claimed there have been other requests, saying: “Of course there are requests, that’s completely normal if you perform well. But we don’t want to let any of the top players go because something is happening here.”
Given he is still fairly new to Gladbach, Pereira might have to break the bank in order to lure the German frontman to the Midlands this month.
Hakim Ziyech (Galatasaray)
According to reports in Turkey (via Sport Witness), Wolves are one of the clubs taking an interest in Galatasaray winger Hakim Ziyech, who has just six months left on his contract with the Turkish giants.
The Moroccan winger enjoyed a fruitful loan spell with the club, scoring eight times while chipping in with four assists in all competitions, and he joined on a permanent basis once the season finished.
This season has been a different story, however. Ziyech has struggled majorly, failing to find the back of the net in 11 appearances and expressing his desire to escape. Could Wolves offer an exit route?
The 31-year-old Champions League winner has Premier League experience, featuring 64 times in the competition for Chelsea between 2020 and 2023, which could indicate that he may still have plenty to offer if he was to return to England this month.
Dan Ballard (Sunderland)
While strengthening his attacking options should be a priority for Pereira, bringing in another defender or two could also be advantageous.
In the top flight this term, the Old Gold have conceded 45 goals, the most in the Premier League, highlighting the need for improvement at the back.
Sunderland defender Dan Ballard was a player linked towards the tail end of 2024, and he could be an interesting signing.
Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Crystal Palace and Brighton & Hove Albion are just a few other clubs keeping an eye on the former Arsenal defender, suggesting competition will be stiff.
The Northern Irishman has made 13 appearances for the Black Cats so far this term, with the club conceding just 13 goals whenever he has featured in the Championship.
Hailed as a “natural leader” by Northern Ireland manager Michael O’Neill, could Ballard be the centre-back Pereira requires in the second half of the campaign?
Renato Veiga (Chelsea)
According to the Daily Mail, Wolves have emerged as candidates to sign Chelsea defender Renato Veiga this month, with Bournemouth rivalling them for his signature.
Veiga only joined the Blues last summer, but has found chances hard to come by under Enzo Maresca, not helped by an inflated squad at Stamford Bridge. Able to play at left-back and centre-back, he could add some versatility to the Wolves defence.
Across his 17 appearances, the youngster has managed to score twice and grab an assist, suggesting that he can offer a decent attacking threat, which could come in handy for the Old Gold.
Potential Wolves departures Sam Johnstone (Rangers)
Sam Johnstone only made the move to Wolves last summer, yet he has only made seven Premier League appearances throughout the season, with none coming under Pereira.
The new man in charge looks like he prefers compatriot Jose Sa to the Englishman, and this could perhaps ensure Johnstone’s departure from the club sooner rather than later.
He has recently been touted with a move north of the border to Rangers, but whether the Molineux side will want to let him go so soon after joining remains to be seen, particularly as a swift replacement will likely be required.
Mario Lemina (linked with Al-Shabab)
Mario Lemina was voted as Wolves’ Supporters’ Player of the Season after an impressive 2023/24 campaign which saw him miss just three Premier League matches, scoring four times in the process.
It perhaps comes as a surprise that he could be on his way just six months later, but it appears as though the club are willing to sanction his departure after a rocky patch for the midfielder.
Saudi Arabian side Al-Shabab have been credited with an interest in the Gabon star, who was stripped of the captaincy after the loss to West Ham United a few weeks ago, which placed his future in doubt.
With just a few months left on his current contract, Pereira will ideally seek a fee to move Lemina on this month while managing to get his £45k-per-week salary off the wage bill in the process.
A move clearly makes sense for everyone involved, and it is now a case of just how much Wolves will make on the player they signed in the winter window back in 2023.
Weekly wages: Wolverhampton Wanderers FC 2025/26 highest-paid players
Who is the biggest earner at Molineux?
ByCharlie SmithSep 24, 2025