How Wolves could line up in the Championship

Wolves are amassing an impressive squad as they eye an immediate return to the Premier League.

The Midlands outfit endured a tough top-flight campaign last season, picking up just 20 points and finishing rock bottom of the division.

It means that Wolves will now have to fight it out in the second tier of English football for the first time since the 2017/18 season, but their actions in the transfer market suggest that they don't intend to hang about.

Rob Edwards' move to back Molineux was an eyebrow raiser for a number of reasons last autumn.

For one, he was joining a Wolves side that, following the sacking of Vitor Pereira, were eight points adrift of safety; winless and rock bottom of the Premier League.

Then there was where he left. Edwards, having only joined Middlesbrough five months prior, completely turned Boro around and had the Teesiders very much on track to achieve promotion from the Championship.

However, the pull of his former club was too tempting to turn down.

Although Wolves did end up finishing bottom -- exactly where Edwards found them in November -- that does not paint the full picture. In truth, there was a clear uptick in performance after the former Luton manager got to grips with his squad and, if they had defeated Burnley on the final day, they would have lifted themselves above the basement position.

From the turn of the year, Wolves picked up more points than both Tottenham and Burnley; one win shy of accruing the same points tally as Chelsea and more than Crystal Palace managed.

Edwards no doubt feels as if he has something to prove heading back into the Championship and the signs have been positive this summer.

Kieran Trippier is so far the biggest name recruited by the club, offering proven quality and a wealth of Championship experience that will no doubt prove invaluable to his teammates.

At 35, Trippier's best days are clearly behind him but, he did start in 18 Premier League games last season, proving that he can still offer so much to a side in a lower division.

Raul Jimenez is another name strongly linked with a Wolves switch and is no doubt getting fans extremely excited. The Mexico international arguably played the best football of his career during five seasons at the club earlier in his career and was still heavily used by Fulham in the Premier League last season.

During the 2019/20 campaign, Jimenez netted 21 times for Wolves in all competitions and, although he is 35 like Trippier, the marksman still has so much to offer; especially at Championship level.

While it is those moves that will grab the headlines, Wolves' best piece of business has been tying Brazilian midfielder Andre down to a four-year contract extension.

At 24, Andre is approaching his peak and played the second-most minutes of any Wolves player in the league last season.

Although Wolves have got Andre's extension over the line, it is realistic to expect his midfield partner Joao Gomes to leave in search of top-flight football. Strong links with Atletico Madrid came earlier in the year and Manchester United are one of a number of sides reportedly interested in securing his signature.

Long-time servant Jose Sa is also another name expected to depart this summer, with Besiktas and Nottingham Forest rumoured to be showing an interest in the Portuguese shot-stopper.

Currently at the World Cup with Norway, left-back David Moller-Wolfe is another player that is likely to seek an exit.

Even accounting for those departures, Edwards will be left with a strong squad and has already indicated that a change of formation is in the offing.

“I want us to be a four,” the head coach said.

“Whether it's another midfielder or whether it's another forward on the pitch, I want us to be able to be more aggressive. That's where I see us going."

Formation & Starting XI

4-2-3-1

Sam Johnstone; Kieran Trippier, Yerson Mosquera, Ladislav Krejci, Hugo Bueno; Andre, Tommy Doyle; Jean-Ricner Bellegarde, Mateus Mane, Rodrigo Gomes; Raul Jimenez