‘The club is expected to fund itself…’: Gary O’Neil provides update on Wolves’ transfer strategy with a big name likely to leave

The Wolverhampton Wanderers boss was speaking ahead of Saturday’s clash with in-form Crystal Palace and the final home game of the Premier League season

Gary O’Neil has warned Wolves will not be able to spend big on transfers this summer but said the club is no longer in a position where they need to sell to balance the books.

O’Neil took the Wolves job last August after Julen Lopetegui left on the eve of the new season due to concerns over the club’s financial position.

Under pressure because of the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules, Wolves sold the likes of Matheus Nunes, Ruben Neves, Nathan Collins, Conor Coady and Raul Jimenez while bringing in Matheus Cunha, Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Santiago Bueno and Boubacar Traore.

Asked on Friday about his expectations for the transfer window to come, O’Neil said: “I don’t think there will be money available to us if nobody leaves.

“If we decided not to sell a big player there may be some bits and pieces we can do. We have some players out on loan that have value and we might be able to do some bits. The club is expected – in the foreseeable future, maybe not long-term future – to be able to fund itself so we need to be able to work with that.

“Of course these things can change so I’m not committing either way, but I wouldn’t expect it to be a summer where we spend millions of the club’s own money on players. I think it won’t be the same as last year where we have to sell loads and make a huge profit, but I wouldn’t expect it to be a spending spree.”