Wolves boss O’Neil: Hwang injury a disaster

Wolves boss Gary O’Neil admits Hee-chan Hwang’s absence is a major blow.

The striker missed defeat at Newcastle and faces six weeks sidelined.

O’Neil said: “He is affected by a thigh injury.

“It will take approximately six weeks, which is obviously a disaster.

“He will probably be back around the same time as Matheus Cunha, maybe Cunha is a bit ahead.

“Statistically, we have stayed in the Premier League in terms of injuries, so we have been competitive, but it is hard to maintain that.”

Arsenal set to beat Premier League rivals to sign Wolves starlet

Arsenal have made an offer for, and look set to sign, a Wolves starlet wanted by several Premier League clubs.

Reports have emerged that Arsenal have made an offer for Wolves and Wales U17s defender Brayden Clarke, and the 17-year-old is likely to make the move to North London.

The news was originally reported by TheSecretScout via X (formerly Twitter), who also confirmed that the player has already said his goodbyes to players and staff at Wolves, ahead of a move – with Arsenal now said to be his most likely destination.

There were reportedly four other Premier League sides chasing the centre-back’s signature, making his decision to join the Gunners something of a coup, and a real boost for our academy at a time of such promise inside Hale End.

The son of former Portsmouth and Nottingham Forest midfielder Nigel Quashie, who was capped 14 times for Scotland, he certainly has big shoes to fill but looks to be well on his way, with many Wolves fans very sad to see him leave.

Clarke was part of the historic Wales U17 side who qualified for the UEFA European Under-17 Championships finals in 2023, when he was just 15 years old – which was the first time that a Welsh men’s youth team had qualified for a major tournament since 1981.

Wolves’ academy manager, Jonathan Hunter-Barrett, has spoken very highly of Clarke’s mentality despite his young age, saying: “Brayden’s got that mentality, focus and drive to step into that environment and succeed.”

Clarke has recently confirmed on Instagram that he is leaving Wolves after seven years, which makes the timing of Arsenal’s reported offer all the more promising in terms of the likelihood of the transfer being completed.