The transfer market can be an unforgiving place at times. Just ask Gary O’Neil, the head coach of Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Despite losing both Pedro Neto and Max Kilman – and banking nearly £100 million in the process following their big-money moves to Chelsea and West Ham United – Wolves are still operating on, if not quite a shoestring budget, then certainly a restricted one.
HITC can confirm that Wolves have made approaches for both Calvin Stengs of Feyenoord and Carlos Forbs of Ajax. But with neither club keen on loan deals, O’Neil and co may have to look elsewhere for more affordable alternatives.
“I hope the other clubs aren’t treating us as super rich and charging what they want because it’s not what we are,” O’Neil told BBC Sport shortly before Wolves’ 2-0 defeat to Arsenal on the opening weekend.
“The club is still not in a place where it’s able to go and free spend on things. Would I love to say that centre-forward over there looks fantastic, he’s £55m and let’s get him in? Of course. But what we’re doing is something very different and we’re trying our best to maximise it.”
Wolves eye Galeno after Pedro Neto’s Chelsea switch
It feels unlikely, then, that FC Porto forward Galeno will be the man taking Pedro Neto’s place.
While Galeno should be available for below his £51 million release clause given Porto’s own financial issues, Wolves only have £20 million to spend in the remainder of the window, per The Telegraph.
And a Brazil international who finished third in the Champions League’s goalscoring charts last season is likely to be beyond such a figure.
Porto president Andres Villas-Boas has confirmed that, due to Porto’s £426 million ‘deficit’, Bournemouth’s new £40 million centre-forward Evanilson may not be the only star man heading for the exit this month.
The former Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur coach confirms that offers have been ‘received’ for Galeno, as well as Goncalo Borges and defender David Carmo.
And while Villas-Boas insists that no one will be leaving for a ‘bargain’ fee, he does admit no one is unsellable at Porto these days. Quite the opposite, in fact.
“FC Porto cannot sell at a bargain price,” Villas-Boas says, via CM Jornal. “We have a greater responsibility towards our members and we have to defend our assets.
“We know the value of our assets and we will respect that value.”
Nottingham Forest also eye Porto and Brazil ace
“(But) we need to sell because of the UEFA licensing and the continuation of FC Porto in European competitions,” the president adds, the 2004 Champions League winners facing a one-year ban from continental competition per AP News.
“Unfortunately, it requires these transfers.
“Now, it is up to us to prepare for the rest of the season and invest according to the needs of the team and the manager. There are only a few days left in the market. We are fully focused so that we can carry out the operations we have in mind.”
HITC understands that Galeno is also on Nottingham Forest’s radar.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have brought in two wingers in the shape of Jota Silva and Ramon Sosa, though an attacker with Galeno’s impressive goalscoring return would still come in very handy at a Forest side who don’t tend to score by the bucketload.
Galeno hit the target 16 times in 2023/24.
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