Credit: Imago

Oliver Walton

Thu 26 March 2026 10:45, UK

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Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Rob Edwards must make sure Tommy Doyle is at the centre of his plans if they are in the Championship next season as his loan spell at Birmingham is assessed.

Doyle left Wolves last summer to join newly-promoted Championship side Birmingham on a season-long loan.

The central midfielder seemed like a coup for Blues at first, but has struggled for consistent game time at St Andrews throughout the campaign, with 18 league starts so far.

With a permanent Birmingham stay deemed unlikely, the Express & Star have reported that Wolves are “assessing” the 24-year-old ahead of a possible return to Edwards’ fold next season.

The Old Gold are clearly likely to be playing in the Championship in 2025-26, and Doyle must be kept on in Edwards’ squad if they want to instantly return to the top flight.

Tommy Doyle has been a standout at Championship level before this season

Doyle has shown flashes of his brilliance while on loan at Birmingham, and was a regular starter as they chased promotion between October and January.

He is a product of Man City’s academy, and it was with them that he was sent out on loan to Sheffield United for the 2022-23 campaign.

Doyle was an integral part of the Blades’ promotion to the Premier League in second place and their run to the FA Cup semi-finals that season, as seen by his statistics from the campaign.

He won the club’s Goal of the Season award for a fantastic strike against Blackburn Rovers, and they wanted to sign him permanently, but could not afford a deal and were beaten by Wolves.

Doyle very clearly has what it takes to be an asset in the second tier, and Edwards recently admitted that the midfielder is someone he is “very well aware of,” and he knows how “effective” he can be at the level.

At 24-years-old, and with two-and-a-half Championship seasons under his belt, it seems like a no-brainer for the Wolves boss to make Doyle a key part of his plans for next term if they are relegated soon.

Joao Gomes looks set to leave Wolves amid Man United interest

Another reason why Doyle could be an important figure for Wolves if they are relegated is because of potential outgoings this summer.

Several of the Old Gold’s midfield stars could move on this summer, regardless of if they go down, with Brazil international Gomes set to depart to continue playing at the highest level.

Football Insider have previously revealed that Gomes wants to join Man United, and they have him on their shortlist for incomings in the middle of the park.

The likes of Rodrigo Gomes and Andre have also been linked away from Molineux, while Angel Gomes looks set to return to Marseille after his loan spell, so Doyle clearly needs to be given a chance by Edwards.