Bruno Lage says Willy Boly didn’t turn up at Molineux to face Newcastle United, despite being named in the Wolverhampton Wanderers squad for the game.
Bruno Lage said: “He was in the squad list and he didn’t come. I have a good relationship with him. He has a proposal in his hands and he wants to go, that’s my feeling when I’m talking with him. I said to him, ‘Look, I understand, but you need to understand I need to put you in the squad because I need a top player like you on the bench. After that, Boly made his own decision.”
Lage went on to praise Boly’s professionalism during his time at Wolves and sympathises with the Ivory Coast international. The Wolves boss believes the number of fixtures taking place before the transfer window shuts is making life difficult for players.
Bruno Lage added: “We start the season and we play today, Wednesday, Saturday… it’s also important to understand what is the time to end the transfer window. The schedule this season is different. In the previous ones we played three times in the Premier league and we stopped for international fixtures. This one if going to be different. The market is open and the teams are playing six or seven games. Two weeks ago we took one player from Sevilla, and one player from Sporting. Everything happens with agents, players and after it’s so hard to manage people. I won’t judge Boly, but we need to think about this so these kinds of things don’t happen. I can see a lot of players in my team who have talks. I don’t know if they will stay with me, or a team will come and pay, and he goes. Maybe I’m dreaming but we can maybe think what we can do with the market to prevent these kinds of things. Boly doesn’t deserve that. He’s been a great professional and hasn’t had any problems with me, but in the end he wants to force something.”
Bruno Lage believes Adama Traore’s behaviour proves that he is happy to stay at Wolverhampton Wanderers beyond next week. Traore scored the decisive goal in Wolves’ 2-1 win over Preston in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday and stands a chance of starting against Newcastle on Sunday. Competition is fierce in the wide forward positions though with Goncalo Guedes, Pedro Neto, Daniel Podence and Hwang Hee-chan also available to Lage.
Bruno Lage said: “What we want when we build this squad is to have players who can give us different dynamics. We understand what he (Traore) can give to us. We have Daniel who can link the game between the lines very well, we have Pedro who is aggressive in one against one situations in space, Hwang is very good at short diags, and Guedes has good movements inside and outside the box, and can shoot outside of the box. Adama is strong in one against ones and able to attack the space, also he assists. I want everyone ready and fit so I can choose the best XI, then when I look to the bench I know I have players who can change the game.”
Traore missed most of pre-season after a hamstring injury flared up, but Lage has brought him off the bench in the last two Premier League games. If no late interest arises before the 11pm deadline on September 1, Traore will stay with Wolves. .
Bruno Lage said: “You can see that (he’s happy to stay), by the way he trains and plays, and scored and celebrated with his teammates. When I look back in January, he scored and gave us an impact, then we accepted the decision to go to Barcelona because it’s his team. Now he’s with us, I’m happy with him and from the signals he gives he is happy with us.”
Bruno Lage has refused to rule out the possible sale of Hwang Hee-chan to Leeds United before the transfer window closes. Hwang has emerged as a target for Leeds head coach Jesse Marsch and Wolverhampton Wanderers would consider selling the South Korean at the right price. Wolves want to seal well in excess of the £14million they paid RB Leipzig to sign Hwang permanently following his loan spell. Lage has some strong options out wide with Goncalo Guedes, Pedro Neto, Daniel Podence and Adama Traore also at his disposal. He would prefer to keep Hwang, but he accepts the 26-year-old could move on if his valuation is met.
Bruno Lage said: “Who wouldn’t want a player like him? I want him, I like him, but in the end we need to understand the market and the situation of the club. We are looking for players from other teams, and we need to expect other teams are looking at our players also.”
Lage has repeatedly praised Hwang’s work ethic throughout his time at Wolves and started him more often than not last season. However, he has only scored once in his last 28 appearances after a goal glut at the start of his Wolves career.
Bruno Lage added: “He had a programme made on him in South Korea and I joked with him that he’s very famous in Korea. Two days ago I was here at night and came to the building and the women’s team were playing football outside and I stayed 15-20 minutes watching the game. I was talking with the doorman about life and schedules and he said he’s here until 10pm and I said ‘but no one is here at 10pm’. He said sometimes Hwang comes here at 9.30pm just to have an ice bath and then he goes home. Hwang spends a lot of time in the academy like other players and he wants to be in his best shape all the time, and do everything he can to play. So we’re talking about a great professional, a great kid, a top player and someone who scored six important goals for us last season.”
