After eight years in the Premier League, Wolverhampton Wanderers and their fans will quickly switch their attention to the next 46-game Championship campaign in 2026/27.
After a successful season under Nuno Espírito Santo, including reaching the UEFA Europa League quarter-finals in 2019/20, Wolves have regressed under various managers and head coaches. It is now up to Rob Edwards to rebuild the team in his first full season at Molineux.
The Old Gold and Black are the 43-year-old’s fourth Championship team, having previously managed such duties at Watford, Luton Town, and Middlesbrough. He left the Teesside club in rather unusual circumstances in November.
As is often the case after a team is relegated from the Premier League to the EFL, there are several questions about which pre-existing squad members Edwards will be able to keep as well as recruit, though a recent four-year extension to Andre’s contract in WV1 certainly piqued many people’s interest.
With that considered, Football League World has looked at which seven Wolves players make the most at Molineux as the second-tier season approaches.
7 Jackson Tchatchoua
The Wanderers’ seven highest-paid players are led by Cameroonian full-back Jackson Tchatchoua, who was signed for a reputed £10.8 million on a five-year contract from Serie A club Hellas Verona last August.
At 24 years old, the right-back will hope to finally demonstrate why such a long contract was offered in Vitor Pereira’s final transfer window at Molineux, before being replaced by Edwards.
The 15-time international was named an unused substitute in all four of the club’s last Premier League games, and his hopes of regular minutes may be hampered by Wolves”verbal agreement’ to sign Kieran Trippier on a free transfer.
However, the Belgian-born player is one of two players on the club’s payroll who are expected to make £65,000 per week at the moment, though relegation means that figure will most certainly fall for next season.
6 Adam Armstrong
Adam Armstrong, who returns to the Championship just months after signing for Southampton for £7 million, is the other player receiving the same ESTIMATED pay.
After scoring 11 goals in 29 league games for the South Coast club under Will Still and Tonda Eckert in his final months at St Mary’s, the 29-year-old moved to the Black Country and has performed admirably, despite Wolves’ relegation being a formality for the majority of his first season at Molineux.
However, he will look to improve on his record of two goals and two assists in his first 14 league outings for the club.
5Hee-Chan Hwang
Another forward is next on the list, with Hee-chan Hwang earning an ESTIMATED £70,000 a week, despite the fact that the 30-year-old has already been linked with a move after being relegated to the Championship.
Hwang was first signed on loan by Bruno Lage in the summer of 2021, but the Midlands club exercised a reported £14 million option-to-buy clause two months later.
However, after scoring 13 goals in 31 games in 2023/24, the South Korean has only scored five more times in his following 56 appearances across all competitions.
4 Tolu Arokodare
Tolu Arokodare, Wolves’ fourth-highest earner, is estimated to make £75,000 each week.
Tolu appeared to be a big signing for the club last summer, joining from Belgian Pro League side KRC Genk for a reported £24 million.
However, as with several previous Wolves additions, fans are still waiting for the money to be justified by a reasonable goal record, which might come in the Championship if he gets off to a good start in the early weeks of the season.
3Jean-Ricner Bellegarde
Jean-Ricner Bellegarde will play for Haiti in this summer’s FIFA World Cup, which might open the door for an exit, which Wolves may try to allow given his ESTIMATED £75,000 per week wage at Molineux.
The 27-year-old was signed to the Premier League for £12.8 million from RC Strasbourg in the summer of 2023 by Gary O’Neil, who, incidentally, is currently in charge of the Alsatian club.
In addition to experiencing the unwelcome feat of relegation, Bellegarde’s personal difficulties in recent months were exacerbated by a hamstring injury between December and January, which thwarted transfer interest from Turkish Süper Lig side Besiktas.
2Toti Gomes
Toti Gomes, a Portuguese international and club captain, is claimed to be the second-highest earner on Nathan Shi’s payroll, with an estimated weekly wage of £80,000.
Despite Wolves’ recent struggles, the 27-year-old’s progress has been a big positive since his arrival from Estoril in 2020, with his most recent contract extension signed in February 2024, keeping him at the club until the summer of 2029.
Surprisingly, there has been little indication that the defender has received any transfer interest following relegation, with his contract position giving the newly relegated club a strong sense of bargaining power.
1Joao Gomes
However, the absolute highest earner at Molineux is Brazilian ace Joao Gomes, who earns an ESTIMATED weekly income of £105,000.
The 21-year-old midfielder was recruited from Flamengo in January 2023 for a whopping £15 million, and despite being a bright spark during the club’s terrible relegation season, Wanderers are likely to earn handsomely from his skills.
Indeed, it has been widely reported that, despite missing out on a berth in Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad, Gomes has been linked with a £39 million move to La Liga giants Atlético Madrid, with final details still being worked out before his impending departure is official.
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