Wolves transfer news: Arsenal, Leeds United players among Premier League, Championship crop who could be targeted in January

Sitting 16 points adrift of safety in the Premier League table, Wolverhampton Wanderers are about to embark on a transfer window that has rarely been seen.

While Rob Edwards is unlikely to publicly acknowledge that relegation to the Championship is as certain as it has ever been at this stage of a Premier League campaign, work is already underway behind the scenes at Molineux as Wolves plan a major rebuild.

However, strengthening their squad is complex. What profile of player is going to want to move to a club that is destined to end their stay in the Premier League, their fanbase is frequently protesting against the club's ownership and their current head coach has lost every game since his arrival last month?

Although it is inevitable that Wolves will look at players in the Championship, who is going to want to leave when as far down the table as 20th position are within 10 points of the playoffs?

Wolves have already admitted that spending in the region of £100m on players without any experience of English football during the last transfer window was a mistake.

When you add that minimal English or Irish players are currently present in the squad and there is a lack of homegrown talent to comply with EFL regulations next season into the equation, Wolves will inevitably need to look far and wide across the market to find players suitable for the short and long term.

Here, Sports Mole suggests nine players who could realistically be targeted in January with the end goal being Championship promotion come the end of 2026-27.

Ethan Nwaneri

Touted as a future star at Arsenal, Ethan Nwaneri will have bigger goals than playing for Wolves, but there needs to be an acknowledgement that his development may come to a standstill on the substitutes' bench at the Emirates Stadium.

The 18-year-old has made three starts and nine substitute outings in all competitions this season. He has only completed the 90 minutes in two EFL Cup ties.

As Arsenal challenge for multiple pieces of silverware, Nwaneri may be used less and less barring a number of injuries in the final third.

With two Premier League loan transfers available to them, Wolves could make an ambitious approach to sign Nwaneri on a temporary basis with the promise of first-team football in the Premier League.

Illan Meslier

With neither Sam Johnstone or Jose Sa being overly convincing this season and on high wages, both could leave Wolves across the next two transfer windows.

Illan Meslier is about to enter the last six months of his contract at Leeds United and has dropped down to third choice.

While the 25-year-old will likely receive offers from higher-profile clubs than Wolves, how many will make the Frenchman their number one?

Despite keeping 21 clean sheets in 39 Championship fixtures in 2024-25, Meslier was dropped at the back end of the campaign.

On paper at least, Wolves should be an obvious destination for someone who has not made a competitive appearance since March to kick-start his career, and Wolves can benefit from signing a soon-to-be free agent who can bring in a sizeable transfer fee in the future.

Marcus Edwards

Since leaving Sporting Lisbon for Burnley, Marcus Edwards' star has fallen to such an extent where he has only played 95 minutes of Premier League football this season.

This remains a player who was one of Ruben Amorim's trusted figures at Sporting, contributing 24 goals and 26 assists from 120 games.

With Wolves needing flair in the final third and Burnley likely to be open to offers, a 27-year-old English playmaker who can play anywhere in the final third fits the bill for both this season and next.

Ben Johnson

There will be a perceived lack of ambition if, or when, Wolves look at Championship players, but there also needs to be logic to the business that they conduct.

Although signing someone like Ben Johnson would not catch the imagination, he is a 25-year-old versatile full-back with 92 Premier League appearances to his name, 23 of which came with Ipswich Town in 2024-25.

Now down the pecking order at Portman Road, Johnson will likely be available should the right proposal arrive next month.

Harry Clarke

Harry Clarke falls into a very similar category to Johnson, an Ipswich right-back who is not viewed in the top two for that position.

While Clarke is on his way back from a long-term injury, he is a player who played 35 times in Ipswich's Championship promotion campaign in 2023-24 and who is entering the final six months of his contract.

When they will want to be shrewd in the transfer market, negotiating a cut-price fee with Ipswich and giving 24-year-old Clarke the game time to set him up to play an important role in 2026-27 could be the way forward for Wolves.

Luke Cundle

When it comes to homegrown and academy-developed talent, Wolves are very low on numbers ahead of next season.

Someone like Hull City's Ryan Giles - someone who Edwards knows well - would be ideal to return to Molineux, but he is currently playing a key role in the Tigers' promotion push.

Luke Cundle, now at Millwall, was a 17-year-old in Wolves' academy when Edwards was the Under-23s manager, and the midfielder has since gone on to become a player who has 10 goals and 11 assists from 102 Championship appearances.

Although Wolves only sold Cundle in January, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that he could return to the West Midlands, particularly when not first-choice at Millwall.

Despite being similar to Tommy Doyle, who will return to Wolves if Birmingham City do not earn promotion, a Cundle reunion ticks a lot of boxes for Wolves.

Lyndon Dykes

With just two Championship starts to his name for Birmingham City this season, Lyndon Dykes may be of the opinion that he needs a transfer to cement his spot in Scotland's World Cup squad.

Just seven goals in 53 games for Birmingham City means that Dykes moving to Molineux would be scoffed at, yet he is someone who would change the dynamics behind the scenes for the better.

Dykes has 37 goals and 12 assists from 175 outings in the Championship, know-how that should not be dismissed when Wolves need all the experience in that division that they can get.

When you also consider that Dykes has netted 10 times for Scotland and played some part in each of the six games during their successful World Cup-qualifying campaign, a deal such as this one could bring value for money.

Conor Coady

When he cannot get into the Wrexham starting lineup, there is a strong argument that Conor Coady's time as a first-team regular in the top two divisions of English football may have come and gone.

However, as he approaches his 33rd birthday, Wolves would be Coady's clear first-choice if given the pick of where he would like to spend the latter stages of his career.

While the England international could not expect to become first choice in Edwards' back three, a price cannot be put on the impact that he would have behind the scenes.

Much will depend on how Coady sees the remainder of his career. He could move to a lower-end Championship side or high-end League One team and be first choice.

If he is content with being backup at Wolves and using his experience to help the club, it should be an easy decision for all parties.