John Richards: Wolves ‘could bag a bargain’ in next window

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Wolves hero John Richards believes they will be in a strong position in the next transfer window despite the uncertainty offered up by the coronavirus outbreak.

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John Richards

It is unlikely the market will be as it was before given the money clubs have lost out on, with games having been suspended for the past few months.

But Richards, who scored 194 goals in 485 appearances and won two League Cups, expects Wolves to adjust as they look to keep hold of their top stars and add more quality to their ranks.

"I think Wolves were in a strong position anyway, with the squad they've got. It's not the biggest of squads but there's a lot of quality," said Richards.

"I think any interest from elsewhere will be luke-warm as even the teams who could afford those key players are going to be tentative over their spending.

"If Wolves want to try and pick up a gem from the lower leagues, there could be an opportunity there as clubs may need the money."

Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore have persistently been linked with various clubs over the past several months, but Richards said: "I think Wolves are in a good position all-round, to be honest.

"And if you're a Wolves player now, there's not a lot of other teams you would want to go to. That's because they respect the manager."

Wolves boss Nuno Espirito Santo's long-term future is still to be sorted, with his current contract expiring in the summer of 2021.

Both Nuno and the club are though to be relaxed over the situation, though, and Richards added: "I'm sure he is giving it a lot of thought. You cannot fault his loyalty and commitment to Wolverhampton so far.

"I think he'll get the team playing again and, hopefully, make a commitment over his future to Wolves.

"This is a club moving forward, in a good position. Again, there are not many clubs you'd look at as your next challenge."