"Bonkers" - Liam Keen analysis after Wolves' Carabao Cup defeat to Chelsea
Wolves have a golden opportunity to sign a proven Premier League midfielder in January
Wolves suffered their eighth defeat across all competitions in this week’s 4-3 home loss to Chelsea.
The first half encapsulated just why Wolves, who are the only winless side in the top four divisions, have struggled so much this season. In the words of Vitor Pereira the team ‘were a bit lost’ after making 11 changes, with Chelsea taking a three goal advantage by the break.
However, just as the fans had started to vent their frustrations at the Portuguese coach and his team the dynamic changed in the second half, as Wolves who looked dead and buried, managed to turn the game into a real contest before being applauded off the field by the home fans.
The result does little to ease the mounting pressure on Pereira in the Molineux dugout but at the very least gives Wolves a bit of hope to cling on to ahead of their crunch clashes with Fulham and Chelsea in the league.
Wolves desperately need to start getting points and most importantly wins on the board in the coming weeks if they’re to give themselves a chance of beating the drop. And if they're still in a respectable position by the time the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Day - the January window could prove pivotal in inspiring a great escape.
We’ve already looked at two winger options Wolves could target in January, including one potential £20m deal and another shrewd loan signing - now we take a look at an out-of-favour midfielder that could have a real positive impact on proceedings at Molineux.
Why Wolves should make a move for James Ward-Prowse
The 2025/26 season has been labelled by many experts as the season of the set-piece due to the increased emphasis on corners, free-kicks and long throws. Yet remarkably one man that has not had much involvement in that side of the game so far is out-of-favour West Ham midfielder James Ward-Prowse.
Wolves are short on quality when it comes to their deliveries - at this moment in time, they’ve managed just two goals from set piece situations which is the second lowest in the division, with only Manchester City (0) scoring less.
Given the height that Wolves have in their squad in the form of Jorgen Strand Larsen (6ft4in), Tolu Arokodare (6ft6), Emmanuel Agbadou (6ft4) and Ladislav Krejčí (6ft3) this seems like an area where Wolves should be getting more joy from at this moment in time.
Wolves, in general play, are desperately short of creativity as well. Even after scoring twice in the defeat to Burnley, they are the joint second lowest scorers in the division behind Nottingham Forest while their XG of 1.27 is still amongst the bottom six in the division despite the fact that they’ve been trailing for more than half of the minutes played this season on average.
Ward-Prowse might not have enjoyed the best patch of form of his career over the last 18 months, but there’s no doubt he could bring something to the team. He has an overall record of 57 top-flight goals - putting him 15th in the all-time list of goalscorers from midfield. While he’s also closing in on half a century of assists, having made 47 in the Premier League era.
He’s a different profile of player to Andre and Joao Gomes, who are both robust workman like midfielders with great tenacity but little goal threat - and his range of passing could be useful when Wolves are soaking up pressure and playing on the counter attack.
West Ham are likely to listen to offers for James Ward-Prowse
The Times claim that West Ham United manager Nuno Espirito Santo wants to offload Ward-Prowse in January.
The former England international briefly crossed paths with the Portuguese coach during a brief six-month loan-spell which was cut short last season at Nottingham Forest. And it appears Nuno has already reached the verdict that the former Southampton man doesn’t have what it takes to make it into his starting lineup.
He’s yet to include Ward-Prowse in a single one of his squads since becoming Hammers boss and has instead decided to bring in Alan Irving and Tomas Soucek to play in his preferred midfield pairing.
Ward-Prowse will be desperate for first team football and could see Wolves as a good place to try and get his confidence back and play regularly once again. He’s still only 30-years-old, has international experience having played for England 11 times and is thought to have leadership qualities as well having captained Southampton through several relegation scraps.
He’s under contract at the London Stadium until 2027 and is likely to be available for a cut-price fee after falling down the Hammers pecking order.
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