How Wolves paid the price for poor recruitment with humiliating relegation
TL;DR
Wolves have been relegated to the Championship after a poor season, marked by losing their first six games. Nuno Espirito Santo, who once led them to the Premier League, contributed to their downfall with his recent draw at Crystal Palace.
Key points
- Wolves relegated to the Championship
- Lost first six games of the season
- Nuno Espirito Santo's draw at Crystal Palace contributed
- Five games left when relegated
- Avoided Derby's worst points total record
Mentioned in this story
Maybe it was fitting that Nuno Espirito Santo relegated Wolves. It was the popular Portuguese coach who led the club to the Premier League eight years ago. Now at West Ham, his point at Crystal Palace has consigned his old club back to the Championship.
Down with five games to go, the reality is that Wolves' relegation has been coming since at least the start of this campaign. They lost their first six games and never did managed to clamber their way off the bottom of the table let alone outside of the bottom three.
So inevitable has it seemed for so long that it is probably worth pointing out just what a miserable effort this has been. Derby's record of the worst points total has been avoided but they were a newly promoted side, as were Southampton last season.
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In fact, of the top 10 lowest points totals in Premier League history - a list that Wolves are likely to be joining very soon - it is only Aston Villa's relegation of a decade ago, after 28 years in the top division, that has seen such an established club fail quite so badly.
As with Villa, most will accept that the problems that led to this predate the current campaign. Wolves had dallied with the drop in two of the previous three seasons. They were bottom at Christmas in 2022. Vitor Pereira came in and turned things around last season.
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Star players have been sold and repeatedly so. While that is also the case at the celebrated B clubs - Bournemouth, Brentford and Brighton - Wolves' erstwhile rivals among the middle-classes, the challenge then is to reinvest the money smartly. Wolves did not.
Yes, there were some baffling tactical decisions by Pereira in the autumn. And there was frustration among the fans when his replacement Rob Edwards failed to hit the ground running, losing each of his first seven games to end hope of a new manager bounce.
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Wolves supporters can also point to a lack of investment from owners Fosun. They recall how former chairman Jeff Shi had once talked up the club's Champions League ambitions back in the heady days of back-to-back seventh-place finishes under Nuno.
But the model for all Premier League clubs outside the super-rich is reliant on buying well. Wolves spent in excess of £150m on transfer fees across two windows in 2025. Cast the eye down the list of acquisitions and they have had little return on the money.
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Emmanuel Agbadou and Marshall Munetsi have already been shipped out. The six subsequent summer signings - with no Premier League experience between them - have not come close to covering for the departures of Matheus Cunha, Rayan Ait Nouri and Nelson Semedo.
Jhon Arias is back in Brazil. Fer Lopez has returned to Celta Vigo. Jackson Tchatchoua brings pace but little else. David Moller Wolfe has been unable to oust Hugo Bueno at left-back. Tolu Arokodare is out of the side despite being the only target man at the club.
Cans have long since been carried. Wolves have sacked both the manager and sporting director who oversaw much of this recruitment. The long-criticised Shi was moved on in December during Edwards' initial run of defeats. Replacement Nathan Shi is no relation.
His job is to switch the focus to next season and a demanding rebuild. Steps are being taken to mend relationships between club and supporters. Season tickets are being offered at reduced prices. The new man is making the right noises, listening to fans.
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For Edwards, there have been some highs with home wins over Aston Villa and Liverpool that had Molineux rocking like old. But it has proved an awkward task for him, trying to coax cohesion from a group who knew they were down and would soon be parting ways.
The hope is that knowledge can be an advantage now. The new chairman has released a statement stressing that work has been under way since he came in to ensure Wolves can respond. The new technical director Matt Jackson has had time to prepare too.
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Ultimately, however, while these figures quietly talk of cultural changes being made, the reason why Wolves are exiting the Premier League is down to their poor recruitment. And it is getting that recruitment right now that will dictate whether they make it back.
Edwards understands this. He has talked of how clubs "live and die" by their recruitment and referenced the fact that mistakes have been made over a number of years at Wolves. There is expected to be a shift in emphasis back in the Championship.
The January signing of Adam Armstrong, a player with over a century of goals in the Football League, is seen as tacit acknowledgement that experience will be needed to negotiate the second tier. The overhaul of personnel in the summer is going to be vast.
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It is impossible to overstate its importance to Wolves. Promotion back to the Premier League within the window of parachute payments is vital. There is no need to look down the road to West Brom or across the Midlands to Leicester to know it can go wrong.
The previous occasion that Wolves were relegated from the Premier League in 2012, they suffered the dreaded double dip and dropped again. When Edwards himself was relegated from the Premier League with Luton in 2024, the exact same thing happened.
Both will want to do far more than just avoid that fate. The ambition will be to go on another journey, similar to the one that they enjoyed with Nuno. But there is a mess to clean up first. A mess that has brought Wolves' eight-year stay in the Premier League to an end.
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Q&A
What led to Wolves' relegation from the Premier League?
Wolves' relegation was primarily due to a poor start to the season, losing their first six games and remaining at the bottom of the table.
Who was the coach that led Wolves to the Premier League?
Nuno Espirito Santo was the coach who led Wolves to the Premier League eight years ago.
How many games were left when Wolves were relegated?
Wolves were relegated with five games remaining in the season.
Did Wolves avoid Derby's record for the worst points total?
Yes, Wolves avoided Derby's record for the worst points total, but their performance this season has been considered miserable.
