Image source, Getty ImagesPremier League clubs have agreed the dates for the summer transfer window.
The window will open early, between Sunday 1 June and Tuesday 10 June, due to an exceptional registration period relating to the Fifa Club World Cup.
It will then reopen on Monday 16 June and close on Monday 1 September.
Image source, Getty ImagesWolves midfielder Jean-Ricner Bellegarde has been nominated for March's Premier League Player of the Month award.
In an unbeaten month for the side that saw them draw with Everton and beat bottom-of-the-table Southampton, the 26-year-old impressively stepped up in the absence of banned forward Matheus Cunha.
Bellegarde provided assists for all three of Wolves' goals in the league this month and helped the team move nine points clear of the relegation zone heading into the final weeks of the season.
Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesThis week, we start at The Hawthorns, of all places, where Fabio Silva scored for Portugal Under-21s against England on Monday. Quirks like that make you wonder if football really does follow a mischievous cosmic script.
Wolves' strategy these days depends on long-term bets, to some extent, signing players early in their careers in the hope that they will make the club a fortune when they mature.
If their investment in Silva, whose eight La Liga goals this season have helped maintain Las Palmas' hopes of avoiding relegation, does one day result in Wolves turning a profit, then Molineux's food kiosks could serve humble pie with every order.
But good for him - before Wolves started loaning him out, he often seemed an innocent abroad and he was put in an impossible position, which he was by no means ready for.
"I cannot answer that because my focus now is to be in Las Palmas," he told the Express and Star on Monday night when asked about his future.
His Wolves contract has one more year to run, and it would be a new height of irony if his talent finally flourishes just as his contract ends.
"I always try to go where I feel happy. I think that is the most important thing - to play football and be happy. It is what I love to do," he added.
On the same dismal day Wolves conceded three penalties against Bournemouth, Silva was scoring Las Palmas' winner away to Barcelona - so no wonder he felt good.
However it ends, the Wolves-Silva story demonstrates just what a tricky policy this is - and yet the logic remains impeccable.
Silva's cost made his an extreme case, and the outlays on individual young players - Rodrigo Gomes and Pedro Lima last summer, for example - have since been more modest.
In the long run, it would only need one in every few of these bets to develop into a £50m-plus rated property to cover the costs, and you would have the benefit of their talent while they improved.
It seems the only realistic way to reach the overall aim of financial self-sustainability. But, outside the boardroom, football has never judged success in the long run. Managers are judged on their most recent game and they often only want to talk about the next one.
However, once safety is assured, another challenging summer lies ahead. The club will be searching for long-term returns while remaining strong enough to cope with the perils of the present.
Who knows what will happen between now and the long run - as the four managers who have left Wolves since the club signed Silva could probably attest?
Tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights
Dazzling Dave
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesJorgen Strand Larsen's debut season with Wolves has been a mixed bag, combining undeniable potential with frustrating inconsistency.
Despite these challenges, the 23-year-old has shown he has the tools to become Wolves' leading number nine. His recent double against Southampton highlighted his quality, but consistency will be key if he is to push on for the remainder of this season and beyond.
One of Strand Larsen's most intriguing stats is his efficiency in front of goal. He has scored nine Premier League goals this season, and while his total of 39 shots may seem modest compared to others in his position, he has an exceptional 69% shot accuracy - 27 of those efforts have been on target.
This makes him the most accurate shooter in the entire league, a remarkable achievement for a first-year player. However, his relatively low shot volume suggests Wolves need to do better at creating chances to maximise his clinical edge.
Strand Larsen has faced criticism for missing key chances, with nine big opportunities squandered this season. While this has understandably frustrated fans, it is worth noting that even the best strikers in the game miss their fair share of sitters.
The real issue lies in the limited number of chances Strand Larsen is receiving. With fewer opportunities coming his way, every miss feels magnified.
The team must play to Strand Larsen's strengths by delivering frequent crosses and providing quick service into the box. His aerial presence and positional awareness could be game-changing, especially in the absence of Matheus Cunha, which creates space for Larsen to shine at the focal point of the attack.
Wolves' wingers and midfielders must rise to the occasion, ensuring their forward is not left isolated.
If Strand Larsen can build on his efficiency and confidence, Wolves may have a genuine star for next season. With sharper support from the squad and continued development, he could cement himself as a prolific striker in the Premier League.
Find more from Dazzling Dave at Always Wolves, external
Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesBBC Radio WM's Mike Taylor has been taking your questions. You can find a host of his answers below and here's the final instalment.
Nathan: Assuming Wolves stay up this season, what does next season look like? Progress and fighting for something or another stressful relegation battle?
Mike answered: After what happened up until December, finishing 17th this season with a few points to spare might feel like success - and that feeling will be dangerous. Vitor Pereira will have succeeded in the job he was brought in to do, at least in the first place.
There is good reason to think Wolves can do better next time, on the basis of their improved second half of this season, and rejoin the mid-table group: Crystal Palace, Everton and West Ham United.
The danger of feeling satisfied with staying up is that you might start next season feeling over-confident of doing the same thing again.
Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton have all turned out to be ill-equipped for the task of Premier League survival, but will their replacements be like that? Burnley have a much more resilient look compared to when they went down a year ago. Leeds should have the means to make an impact. Sheffield United should have learned from previous experiences. Sunderland would be strongly supported.
This season's bottom three have given Wolves plenty of margin for error but next season's newcomers might not - so Wolves will need to make some good decisions this summer to prepare accordingly.
Tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 on weeknights
Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesOur BBC Radio WM reporter Mike Taylor has been answering your questions surrounding Wolves' current ownership.
Brian asked: Why are Fosun holding on to the club and risking relegation every season? Would they consider appointing an experienced director of football to allow Jeff Shi to run the business side?
Mike answered: "We all want to win something - winning the league will require a lot of luck but winning trophies or getting into Europe is imaginable," said Jeff Shi to the Telegraph last autumn.
It is imaginable but difficult, and appreciably more difficult in the context of the club's wish to be financially self-sustaining.
There is nothing inherently wrong with wanting to be self-sustaining. Most other businesses - and one presumes most of the others in Fosun's business empire - are expected to do that.
We might agree that football would be in a healthier place if all clubs agreed to be financially self-sustaining in the future, but dream on. Most, especially those challenging for the sort of honours Wolves aspire to, are not.
If you want to sit at the high-rollers table, you better put some money down.
In that environment, the path to achieving Shi's stated aims is narrower still. So what else, in Fosun's opinion, is Wolves for? Is it enough to merely occupy a space in the Premier League, as some sort of status symbol on their business empire and a brand to shift Wolves-branded products around the world? If so, fine.
However tough some of the recent seasons have been, Wolves are still a top-flight club. For much of the 30 years before Fosun arrived, they weren't. Fosun are good at business but they have chosen a hard road that is difficult to turn off.
Sell up now and it is hard to imagine they could recoup all of their investment. Fail to spend enough to stay in the Premier League and their asset will be worth far less.
Prestige doesn't often come cheap.
Sporting Director Matt Hobbs is essentially fulfilling the role you describe, though his standing with Wolves fans has dipped over the last year. Some of his decisions last summer aged badly in the first half of this season. But although they left it late in the mid-season transfer window, Wolves got it right.
The manager identified the weaknesses and the club bought in players to address them, at what appears so far to be reasonable prices. That's how it's supposed to work.
Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesOver the course of Friday, we have been putting your questions to BBC Radio WM's Mike Taylor. In this part, we look at how Wolves' summer transfer window could play out.
Matt asked: With Nelson Semedo out of contract in the summer, will Pedro Lima be given the chance to shine next season? He looks like he could be a top player. Also, where do Wolves need to strengthen in order to improve next season?
Mike: First, they will miss Semedo if he leaves. His form has generally trended upwards over his time with Wolves and he is clearly a respected personality in the squad.
Pedro Lima will still be only 19 when next season begins and I agree he has shown some potential on the few occasions we have seen him, but going into next season with him as first choice in that position would be a bold call. It may be that with Matt Doherty around there is enough cover there to give Lima a shot at it, although Vitor Pereira clearly identified Doherty as suited to the style he wants on either side of his back three.
The future of Matheus Cunha holds the key to Wolves' squad for next season. Like almost every other club, finding another reliable goalscoring forward would surely be high on their list, and I imagine they will be in the market for a goalkeeper too.
Jeremy asked: Do you think Pereira will be backed to strengthen the squad in the summer?
Mike: He will need to be. He has earned a fair shot at it too - after correctly identifying the problems with the side, he identified and helped to fix them with well-judged mid-season signings.
With no indication to date that Fosun will move away from its general policy of being financially self-sustaining, Wolves will probably need to sell to buy. They will need to make smart deals - and do so early if they can, difficult though that is.
Pereira should be in quite a strong negotiating position with the club, as the man who averted danger - but Julen Lopetegui's frustration in similar circumstances two years ago became obvious very quickly, and Wolves were slow to respond.
Let's imagine Wolves sell Cunha and one other, for example Rayan Ait-Nouri or Joao Gomes, that might give them the funds to invest in four or five mid-market signings. In the last window they shopped well in that bracket for Marshall Munetsi and Emmanuel Agbadou, so it can be done.
Image source, Getty ImagesEarlier, we asked which player has appeared in the most Premier League wins for Wolves.
The answer is Joao Moutinho, who was involved in 66 victories.
Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesOver the course of Friday, we have been putting your questions to BBC Radio WM's Mike Taylor. In this part, we look at the future of Wolves' talisman Matheus Cunha.
David asked: Wolves have set a release clause in Matheus Cunha's contract. Does that make it inevitable that this sum will be the most they will get for him?
Mike: Liam Keen of the Express and Star did some helpful reporting on this last month, concluding that the terms of the release clause make it less likely that the reported £62.5m will be exceeded. A lot of Wolves fans I have heard from think that would represent selling him at a discounted rate, and you could see him being an attractive option in the market at that reserve price.
But whatever the technical details of the contract, you can only start an auction if you have enough bidders. Will the incidents against Ipswich and Bournemouth - both attracting FA charges - dampen interest from the sort of clubs Cunha might want to play for? £62.5m would be a hefty chunk out of the budget of all but the biggest clubs. Most would agree Cunha has the talent to play at that level, if he wants to, but, they may now question if he has the temperament.
Idris asked: If Cunha does leave next season, how do you feel Wolves will cope without him?
Mike: That very much depends on how, and if, they fill the gap.
If he goes – and I do not think I have heard from a Wolves fan yet who expects him to stay, although we should note the player himself has said nothing in public about wanting a move – fans will demand the money is spent on replacements.
We saw last summer that Wolves did not feel compelled to find a direct substitute for key players who left. If you can find a like-for-like replacement for Cunha's ability, on a budget, great; but you could burn a lot of money trying to find a single player with the same X-factor.
There is another way. Yes, it was only against a hapless Southampton team, but a win without him – the first in the Premier League not to include a Cunha goal for nearly a year – should raise some confidence that Wolves can find a different route.
Much of Cunha's best work has been virtuoso stuff, a magic goal out of nowhere. Recycling the Cunha cash into three or four players at more modest cost, tailored to the manager's style, could add the depth the squad needs. Consider Wolves' work in January - they bought Emmanuel Agbadou and Marshall Munetsi for, crudely, about half a Cunha.
A post-Cunha Wolves squad might be less flashy, but more dependable.
Mike Taylor
BBC Radio WM reporter
Image source, Getty ImagesAll through Friday, we have lined up our Wolves expert, Mike Taylor from BBC Radio WM to tackle your questions.
In this first part, he takes a look at how the final weeks of the season are shaping up for Vitor Pereira's side.
Stephen asked: Do you think the Premier League relegation battle is effectively already over?
Mike answered: At the risk of worrying any superstitious Wolves supporters, it really ought to be, but perhaps it would be more prudent to wait for Wolves to avoid defeat in their next two games before we call it.
Given the lack of momentum and daunting fixture lists of the teams below them – although I suppose any fixture must look daunting when you only have 17 points in March – it is entirely possible Wolves have enough points already.
There have been times this season when it felt as if Wolves were taking the cliche about just needing to find three worse teams a bit too literally, but in recent weeks they have been the only one of the bottom four showing any signs of forward progress.
Vitor Pereira will, I'm sure, be stressing to the players that their job is not done yet. Last week, he was talking about how nice it would be to look up the table for a change. They play West Ham next, so it might be an idea to tell the players the target is not to stay above Ipswich and Leicester, but to catch the Hammers.
Steve asked: How are Wolves' long-term injured players progressing?
Mike answered: There have been a few scraps of encouraging news, but at this stage no indication that any of them will be ready to return before the end of this season.
Tune into The West Midlands Football Phone-In from 18:00 GMT on weeknights
Which player has appeared in the most Premier League wins for Wolves?
Come back to this page on Friday afternoon for the answer
It's an international break. It's quiet. There's not much to talk about.
And yet, when Wolves return they will face West Ham but before that to keep you occupied there is no doubt you have plenty on your mind.
So we are lining up our BBC Radio WM reporter Mike Taylor to tackle your questions.
It could be recent good form, tactics, recruitment, summer plans, loanees, boardroom or something else...
Fire them over and he will answer a selection later in the week.
Arsenal's prospective new sporting director Andrea Berta is keen on Wolves' 25-year-old Brazil striker Matheus Cunha, who has a release clause of £62.5m. (Teamtalk), external
Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column
Dazzling Dave
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesWolves may not have dazzled in their 2-1 victory over Southampton, but it was a performance that showcased grit and determination.
Despite staying in second gear for much of the match, the most crucial takeaway was the three points earned — a step that significantly bolsters our chances of Premier League survival.
The win created a nine-point cushion above the relegation zone, a buffer that feels insurmountable. With Ipswich managing just three wins and Leicester only four all season, coupled with Wolves' superior goal difference, the likelihood of relegation now looks extremely slim.
It would take an unprecedented collapse to drag Wolves back into the dogfight.
This season's survival owes much to the unusually low bar set at the bottom of the table. In many other years, Wolves' tally might have left them staring down the barrel of relegation. However, the turnaround under Vitor Pereira has been key.
Taking over a team lacking confidence, Pereira has steadied the ship, reignited belief and lifted the club out of mediocrity. His impact is evident, not just in results but in the fans' renewed optimism.
Pereira's pragmatic and passionate approach, paired with his down-to-earth personality, have endeared him to supporters. His talk of "points, pies, and pints" in press conferences has resonated.
Pereira has secured 17 points in 13 Premier League games, providing Wolves with a strong leader capable of shaping the squad into a more cohesive and efficient unit.
With Wolves virtually safe, the focus must shift to finishing the season strongly. Momentum in the final fixtures will ensure we avoid a sluggish, 'on-the-beach' ending and instead drive us into the summer and beyond.
Wolves currently rank ninth in the Premier League form table over the past six matches, level on points with Nottingham Forest.
The focus should remain on sustaining the push rather than prematurely thinking the job is done.
Find more from Dazzling Dave at Always Wolves, external
Wolves are keeping a close eye on Diogo Jota's situation at Liverpool and are weighing up a move to bring the 28-year-old forward back to Molineux this summer. (Teamtalk), external
Image source, Getty ImagesWe asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Southampton and Wolves.
Here are some of your comments:
Southampton news
Martin: A broken manager inherited a broken club with broken-spirited players, then starts a winnable game with three full-backs and no strikers, then takes off the most creative player on the pitch at half time. How was it going to end any differently?
Ryan: Far too easy to play through. Wolves didn't really have to turn up to walk away with the three points and that's what hurts the most. Really hard to see where the next points will come from.
Mike: Started well but conceded two soft goals. No presence in the box and sloppy defending again. 'Not fit to wear the shirt' was the home fans' chant and how many of this lot will still be at St Mary's in the Championship?
Glenn: Absolutely horrible. This was our last chance to get over 11 points. We need to clear the squad and spend two seasons in the Championship rebuilding confidence, team spirit and relationship between the club and supporters.
Wolves fans
George: Wolves played a good game up to their second goal. They then became wasteful in attack and somewhat jittery in defence. From the moment the Saints scored their goal, victory was precarious.
Nathan: Southampton played better but couldn't win. Wolves played poorly and did win! An ugly win but it's all about points and staying up so a good day. One step closer to Premier League survival!
Nick: Great result from the lads but we made it hard for ourselves in the end. That nine point gap is massive. Cunha back in soon so surely we will stay up now.
Ken: Salvaged the season with this win, and did it without Cunha. Safe now but how about some more ambition for the future with some money to spend without selling our best players for a change.
Highlights and analysis from Saturday's five Premier League fixtures.
If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up now on BBC iPlayer.
Listen back to match commentaries on BBC Sounds:
Image source, Getty ImagesWolves manager Vitor Pereira, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "In this moment of the season, we want to play good football. We had moments in the game where we played good football and we had [two chances] to score the third goal. If we had, the last 10 minutes would have been different.
"In 30 seconds, they scored their first goal. For a team that wants the three points, it was time to suffer together, be compact, defend and get the three points."
On Jorgen Strand Larsen: "In the last game he didn't perform at his level because he got his injury [a broken hand] two days before the match.
"He wanted to help the team but did not feel comfortable. Today, after one week, he is more comfortable with the injury. In my opinion, he did a fantastic job ."
On survival: "In this league, we cannot feel safe. The first mistake is to lose points. Now we have the [international] break and it's important to rest a bit, but the next match is very important for us. We must control our games because we cannot control the opponents' games.
"They are out of our control. We need to do our work to do well for our supporters, who were fantastic again. We cannot sleep."
