Wolves must now find Ruben Neves solution after failing to deliver Bruno Lage demand

A look at the Premier League table would suggest that Wolverhampton Wanderers are in a stable position.

Despite dropping two places on the final day, their 10th place finish was their third in the top half since winning promotion in 2018. This was, of course, their first without the management of Nuno Espirito Santo, who was replaced by Bruno Lage after four seasons in charge.

In Lage’s first campaign they finished higher than in 2020-21 and picked up more points than in that Covid-affected season. But in the final months of last term, there was only one direction Wolves were heading…and it wasn’t up. After beating Leicester on February 20, Lage’s side were six points off the top-four - having played two games fewer - and one point ahead of Tottenham, who they had soundly beaten the previous weekend.

But in their final 14 games, Wolves picked up just 11 points. They ultimately ended a full 20 off the Champions League places and Antonio Conte’s Spurs. Their final seven matches yielded just two draws as hopes of European football were emphatically dashed.

It was no surprise then that Lage spoke with great clarity about what he wanted from the club’s ownership structure when it came to recruitment in the window. “It’s very important for us that the players are here on the first day, then we will have four or five weeks of work to start the Premier League in the best way,” he said.

“We can explain everything so that new players know the ideas. We are working for that. In the same way we need to understand the policy of the club, the modern days. The first sale is going to be like a domino - the money will move.”

Now just days away from that pre-season schedule beginning, Wolves have failed to bring in a single player.