Ex-West Brom star reveals surprise £5m+ Wolves transfer approach | OneFootball

Lee Hughes had the chance to make the move from The Hawthorns to Molineux in 2001 - and Dave Jones even phoned him up to make it happen

One of the most bitter rivalries in English football takes place in the Black Country, with West Brom and Wolves being some of the nations fiercest enemies.

There’s not a lot of love lost when the two clubs come face-to-face, as evidenced the last time they played each other in the FA Cup in January 2024, where Wolves’ 2-0 win at The Hawthorns was overshadowed by significant spectator violence.

Both Midlands clubs will compete in the Championship next season, and such is the rivalry, you’re very unlikely to see players move directly between the two clubs very often - Steve Bull was a rarity after he struggled to make the grade at the Baggies, and he then went on to become a Wolves legend.

But if ex-Wolves boss Dave Jones had his way all the way back in 2001, they could have really ruffled some feathers by raiding their enemies for their star player in what has just been revealed as a brand new story - albeit it failed to materialise.

Lee Hughes reveals shock Wolves transfer approach whilst at West Brom in 2001

By the end of 2000-01, West Brom had been in the First Division (now the Championship) for eight years, and the previous season had only just finished three points clear of the relegation zone.

Under Gary Megson though, the Baggies were able to turn their fortunes around, and led by Lee Hughes at the top end of the pitch, Albion were able to finish in the play-off spots, where they were comprehensively dispatched at the semi-final stage by Bolton Wanderers.

Nevertheless, Hughes - who had arrived at The Hawthorns in 1997 from Kidderminster Harriers for £380,000 after a prolific stint at Aggborough - notched 23 goals for Albion that season, and it led to a big-money move away - albeit to a club at the same level.

Coventry City had dropped into the second tier from the Premiership and decided to trigger Hughes’ release clause of £5 million following his transfer listing over a rejected contract offer - but it could’ve all been so different.

Taking to social media platform TikTok, Hughes has now revealed nearly 25 years later that Wolves were plotting an audacious swoop for the centre-forward, which would’ve really shaken up the second tier landscape.

"I was at West Bromwich Albion, and Coventry came in for £5,000,001 - next thing you know, I got a phone call, it was Dave Jones, the Wolverhampton Wanderers manager," Hughes revealed.

"I thought it was a joke at first, and then he said to me; 'Lee, Dave Jones here from Wolverhampton Wanderers. Would you be interested in signing for Wolves from West Brom?'

"Considering I was top goalscorer at West Brom for a few years, and he wanted me to sign for Wolves, he said; 'I know Coventry have offered over £5 million - we'll match that, and we'll give you more wages.'

Hughes revealed that he told Jones unequivocally that there was 'no chance' he could make the move to Molineux, given his family's Smethwick roots, with Hughes going on to reveal that Jones told him; 'Don't you know how big this club is?'.

Jones' charm offence didn't work though - Hughes revealed that he hung up the phone and he went on to sign for Coventry, but after a debut 14-goal season at Highfield Road, he would return to West Brom in the summer of 2002 for a cut-price fee of £2.5 million after they won promotion to the Premiership - months after they tried to land him on loan from the Sky Blues for the final batch of First Division games.

Wolves ended up flourishing despite Lee Hughes transfer setback

Without Hughes, West Brom stormed to promotion in the second tier, and whilst Coventry failed to make the play-offs, a Hughes-less Wolves finished third in the table and had to settle for the play-offs, where Jones' side were taken down by Norwich City over two legs, meaning they had to wait another year for their Premiership debut.

And having not been able to convince Hughes to join Wolves, Jones ended up splashing the cash instead on Blackburn Rovers striker Nathan Blake and Rangers centre-forward Kenny Miller later on in 2001 for a combined £4.5 million, whilst also adding the experienced Dean Sturridge from Leicester City for more fire-power.

Between the trio, Wolves got 34 goals in all competitions in 2001-02, including a stunning 21 in 30 appearances for Sturridge, which softened the blow somewhat of missing out on Hughes' services, and a season later, they'd finally make it into the top flight after beating Sheffield United 3-0 at the Millennium Stadium in the play-off final.

Hughes meanwhile didn't hit the lofty heights expected at Coventry in his one-year stay, and his return to West Brom would unfortunately be marred by a death by dangerous driving incident in November 2003, which saw the striker sent to prison for six years - of which he was released after three in 2007 - for the death of 56-year-old Douglas Graham.

Post-prison, Hughes was able to rebuild his career in the lower leagues with the likes of Oldham Athletic, Port Vale and Notts County, and he even had a brief stint back in the Championship in 2009 on loan at Blackpool.

There may always be a case of 'What if?' though when it comes to Hughes' new revelation of Wolves' interest nearly 25 years ago, and what might've been different if he committed the cardinal sin of swapping the blue and white stripes for the old gold of Molineux.