BOSS BRUNO’S LOOKING TO WHEEL AND DEAL

BRUNO LAGE has admitted Wolves could sell a big star next month to raise funds to sign up to four players.

Boss Lage said this week he hoped to bolster his small squad in January with up to three additions. But Chinese-owned Wanderers are unlikely to provide any new major funds to help.

Fosun, the conglomerate who own Molineux, are mindful of Financial Fair Play rules and want to make the club selffunding.

Now Lage has mooted the prospect of cashing-in on a major star to wheel and deal like he did during his Benfica reign from January 2019 to June 2020 when they sold wonderkid Joao Felix to Atletico Madrid. Lage (below) said: “All our best players need to stay with us, that is the big challenge. But in football you never know and if you needed to do at least one deal to buy the three or four players we need, then we need to do it. That is the financial part.

“When I was in Benfica we sold Joao Felix for £113million and we cannot lose that chance. He played half a season, a kid who was 19 years old and we sell him. Ninety percent of my time is thinking about what happens today.

“But when I have time, that other time is to try to look for January and also in the next window.”

Wolves have lost just once in nine games ahead of Liverpool’s visit today with loanee Hee-chan Hwang impressing. But Wanderers’ financial constraints mean they could wait until the end of season to activate a clause to buy Hwang for £14m under the terms of his season-long loan.

The clause is valid until the end of May for South Korea international Hwang, who has shone with four goals since arriving from RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga.

He spearheaded Wolves’ attack in midweek alongside Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore.

Traore, who smashed the bar against Burnley on Wednesday night, is out of contract in 2023 despite protracted negotiations and is one of the stars who could potentially be sold.

Lage added: “I know they have been talking about a year.”