The almost unthinkable worry is stuck in the minds of the Wolverhampton Wanderers faithful. It's the fear that teams that have risen from the Championship to taste the prominence and security of Premier League safety know could become a key theme all too easily.

Relegation is an eventuality that a club in Wolves' position always has to contend with, and indeed after Julen Lopetegui called it a day on the cusp of the 2023/24 campaign, the Molineux side appeared to teeter on the edge of the proverbial precipice.

Gary O'Neil has earned his laurels for inculcating his philosophy with ease and guiding Wolves to a comfortable top-flight finish after key players left in their droves, but the season fizzled out and there is an underlying concern that failing to act over the coming months could see the club pulled toward the division's basement.

Matheus Nunes

Manchester City

£53m

Ruben Neves

Al Hilal

£47m

Nathan Collins

Brentford

£23m

Conor Coady

Leicester City

£8.5m

Raul Jimenez

Fulham

£5m

Ryan Giles

Luton Town

£5m

But let's turn away from the pessimism for a moment. Wolves have a talented squad; they might not be the richest in the land but O'Neil is not thought to have to fret over the PSR issues that some divisional rivals are presently beset with.

The £60m-valued Pedro Neto is attracting interest from Premier League champions Manchester City, but Wolves could shrewdly turn such recouped funds toward several impactful additions. Let's take a look at who might be brought in.

1 GK – Caoimhin Kelleher

Jose Sa has been headhunted by Saudi Pro League sides this season and he didn't enjoy his finest year clad in Old Gold, making five direct errors, three proving fatal.

It might be time to let him leave and claim some much-needed funds to invest in the signing of Liverpool's Caoimhin Kelleher, who wants to quit his second-choice post at Anfield and join a Premier League rival, with Wolves willing to meet the Merseysiders' £20m asking price.

He's a fine goalkeeper, instrumental in winning the Carabao Cup this year and even dubbed "world-class" by Virgil van Dijk.

2 CB – Max Kilman

Max Kilman is being pursued by Lopetegui-headed West Ham United this summer but O'Neil will recognise the damage that could be inflicted in allowing the centre-half to leave.

He played every minute of the Wanderers' Premier League campaign and captained his side for 37 of the 38 fixtures.

3 CB – Craig Dawson

It's not a coincidence that Wolves' dour finish to the campaign, winning once across ten Premier League matches, coincided with Craig Dawson's injury absence.

34 years old, he's such a superb defender, crisp in the tackle, commanding and composed. The Athletic's Steve Madeley recently wrote that he is 'the linchpin of their [Wolves'] defence'. He'll be vital in batting away danger once again next season.

4 CB – Toti Gomes

Toti Gomes is an athletic defender with a sharp and effective contrast to his positional peers. Signed for just £900k in 2020, Wolves have well and truly hit the jackpot with the signing of this underrated colossus.

5 RWB – Nelson Semedo

Nelson Semedo, 30, has just one year left on his current deal and is believed to be one of the most likely high-profile stars to be sold this summer, but if Wolves navigate the window to their liking he will probably still be on the books.

Picked as the Players' Player of the Season, it might just be that there is more value in keeping the stalwart for one more year.

6 CM – Joao Gomes

Signed from Brazilian club Flamengo for a £15m fee in January 2023, Joao Gomes is an aggressive and all-action midfielder and he's the veritable lifeforce of O'Neil's engine room.

Incredibly, the 23-year-old averaged 3.8 tackles, won 6.2 duels and recovered 5.4 balls per game in the Premier League, as per Sofascore. Other clubs can sniff around all they like but selling him would be ludicrous.

7 CM – Mario Lemina

Linked with a move away, Mario Lemina allayed fears of an exit in a recent interview with his outfit, saying: “We’ve got such an amazing group. The lads are really good, with good hearts and they showed the togetherness. Even the fans were with me during this tough period.

“I’m really happy to be here and I hope I’m going to stay here for a long time, and I’ll try to give my best so Wolves can be the best Wolves team we can be.”

He's been a force this season and a regular feature. Lemina will prove to be a real asset once again next season.

8 LWB – Francisco Moura

Unfortunately, Neto may not be the only mainstay to be sold this summer, with Rayan Ait-Nouri being courted by prominent teams such as Manchester United. If his £40m price tag is met, he may well be allowed to leave.

However, as per GiveMeSport, sporting director Matt Hobbs has already made contact with Portuguese outfit Famalicao for the signing of 24-year-old left-back Francisco Moura, who could be signed for just £8.5m.

The Braga-born wide defender averaged 2.3 key passes per game in Liga Portugal this year, with creative confidence that will serve him well if he does head toward English shores.

9 RF – Jonathan Rowe

So then, Neto's probably off. So long, Portuguese phenom, thanks for the assists. It's going to be a poignant day; Neto's one of the highest-quality Wolves stars in a generation.

However, if Fosun succeeds in securing a replacement like Jonathan Rowe, there's every chance that the exit will not prove to be damaging. The Norwich City winger, 21, is being targetted by Wolves – according to GiveMeSport – and arguably offers the technical skill to rival Neto's, should he continue his trajectory over the coming years.

Hailed as "unstoppable" by reporter Chris Reeve, the £25m-rated whiz could be a real star in the West Midlands.

10 LF – Matheus Cunha

Manchester United are hoping that Molineux will entertain offers for Matheus Cunha this summer but if Neto is to be sold (and Ait-Nouri, for that matter) it's unlikely that another integral cog would be taken away, sure to send the system in a spin.

As per FBref, Cunha ranks among the top 14% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 10% for pass completion, the top 12% for progressive passes, the top 5% for progressive carries, the top 3% for successful take-ons and the top 17% for tackles per 90.

Oh, and he scored 14 goals this term. Wolves must ensure this wonderful, vibrant forward stays put.