Wolves transfer news: Sporting director says Fer Lopez 'exactly what his club needs' in January market

Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Fer Lopez has been confirmed as a winter transfer target for former club Celta Vigo.

During the summer, Wolves paid in the region of £19m to make the unproven Spaniard their first signing ahead of 2025-26.

However, the investment is yet to pay off with the 21-year-old making just three starts and six substitute outings in all competitions.

While Lopez has been provided with appearances off the bench in the last two Premier League fixtures against Manchester United and Arsenal, it remains to be seen whether he will stay part of Rob Edwards's plans going forward.

Nevertheless, during the period of uncertainty, it has become clear that Celta Vigo would welcome him back with open arms in January.

Celta Vigo interest in Wolves player confirmed

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, sporting director Marco Garces acknowledged that the Spain Under-21 international is of interest to the La Liga side.

That said, he also admitted that negotiating a deal with Wolves so soon after his arrival at Molineux may prove difficult.

As relayed by AS, Garces said: "We would love for him to return. He’s exactly the type of player we need. We’ve expressed our interest, but it seems difficult. They invested a significant amount of money, and it was very recently,” he said.

"We have all 25 squad spots filled. If we can offload a couple of players, someone with Fer López's profile, whether it’s him or another player, would be very interesting."

Celta Vigo initially only took the decision to cash in on Lopez in order to ensure that they complied with La Liga's financial regulations.

How should Wolves handle Lopez situation?

When Wolves took the decision to pay £19m for Lopez, they did so when he had acquired just seven starts and 13 substitute outings in Celta Vigo's first team.

Therefore, it cannot be deemed to be a surprise that he has not hit the ground running in the Premier League, and Wolves officials now have decisions to make over how to handle his development.

If Wolves do not see Lopez as a part of their squad for a likely Championship campaign in 2026-27, they need to find the best scenario to avoid a financial loss.

Should Celta Vigo offer a sizeable loan fee for Lopez and offer to pay a large portion of his wages, it should be an easy decision for all concerned.

The upturn of Celta Vigo's fortunes means that there is no guarantee of regular action, though, and that would need to be weighed up by Wolves.