Middlesbrough owner Steve Gibson has made it clear that Boro players are off limits for Rob Edwards to pinch at Wolves.
Former Luton Town manager, Rob Edwards, only took the reins at Middlesbrough in June when he signed a three-year contract to replace Michael Carrick in the dugout, and it's fair to say that he exceeded all expectations prior to a ball being kicked as since his arrival, Boro have quickly emerged as one of the key promotion candidates in the Championship after a strong start to the season with 29 points in 15 games, and sitting pretty in second in the table.
Edwards was announced as Wolves' new head coach on Wednesday in a time of turmoil as he put pen to paper on a three-and-a-half year contract, in which Boro will receive £3 million in compensation due to the manager's early exit after only five months in charge at the Riverside.
With his switch to replace Vitor Pereira at Wolves being somewhat of a controversial one due to being more than satisfied when at Boro, as opposed to the Premier League side who will continue to fight for their top-flight status, Boro owner Steve Gibson has made it clear to Edwards that he's going to have to look elsewhere if he wants reinforcements come January.
Middlesbrough players are off limits for Rob Edwards tells Steve Gibson
Steve Gibson - Middlesbrough
With the January transfer window only a couple of months away, Edwards will sure have one eye on the market in order to bring in some much-needed reinforcements at Molineux as they look to keep their Premier League status for yet another season.
He comes in the door in the Black County with plenty of work to do as Wolves are without a win 11 games into the season, and eight points adrift from safety. With a turnaround in results needed, if he can replicate his magic which was seen at Boro, then he has every chance of achieving that feat.
However, with the current team at his disposal, it may be unlikely. That's why the month of January is pivotal to the club's future, but Boro owner, Gibson, has reportedly, via Molineux News, made it known to Edwards that if he looks in the direction of the Riverside for answers, he won't get any. If any inquiries do come through from Molineux, they would get a ‘short shrift’ response from Boro.
Throughout his youthful managerial career, Edwards has been known to admire homegrown players, with Hayden Hackney and Dael Fry being two of his most favoured during his time at Boro, as shown by making the centre-back his captain during his short tenure. As for Hackney, his talents have been on display for quite some time now, and it comes as no surprise that he possesses the qualities to be a Premier League player.
If Edwards had his sights set on securing the pair's services with his new club, Gibson has quickly ruled out that possibility and, therefore, the Wolves boss will have to delve deeper into his list of targets to find those with similar attributes. Fry and Hackney would be difficult deals to strike for any club due to the influence they have on the Boro squad, let alone Wolves.
Wolves in need of reinforcements, but Middlesbrough isn't an option for Rob Edwards
Rob Edwards, Middlesbrough
With it being made clear to Edwards by Gibson that Middlesbrough players aren't in the conversation when it comes to potential January business, it doesn't wave away the fact that the Premier League side must recruit in a couple of months time if they have any chance of turning their fortunes in their favour.
According to Molineux News, Wolves had Hackney on their radar in the summer, but the deal didn't come to fruition as Edwards himself blocked the deal from happening on deadline day. In hindsight, Edwards must now be looking back in regret due to his current position, but it's clear that Hackney is one of the Championship's top-rated talents, and a spell in the top-flight seems likely, whether that's with Boro or elsewhere. One thing for sure is that it won't be in Wolves colours.
As for Wolves, because Hackney is now off limits, they must look to sign someone with his profile. Despite having the creative Joao Gomes in their ranks, another spark is needed, who can find those tight pockets of space and make things happen in the final third. It's no secret that Hackney would tick that box, but a midfielder who can change a game by taking players on, is what Edwards needs.
With Edwards being fairly inexperienced when it comes to managing in the Premier League, as his one season with Luton Town ended in relegation despite their best efforts, players like Ross Barkley and Chiedozie Ogbene proved to be a couple of his best in the 2023/24 season, and finding a couple of attacking players with similar qualities to those two would give Wolves a goof chance of survival in the second half of the season.