GC Grasshoppers are not simply a team for Wolverhampton Wanderers to farm teams out to, despite reports to the contrary.
That’s according to former GC star Erich Vogel, who insists the Swiss side have turned down numerous players offered to them by Wolves already.
Grasshoppers and Wolves share a unique relationship courtesy of their owners, with the Swiss club owned by the wife of Wolves owner Guo Guanchang.
Initially, the two clubs remained separate but announced a partnership deal in 2020 that many believe turned Grasshoppers into something of a feeder club for the Premier League side.
That certainly appears to be the case when it comes to transfers, with several players having been transferred between the clubs in recent years.
The January transfer window saw more of the same, with Sang-bin Jeong, Hayao Kawabe and Bruno Jordao all making the move to Switzerland.
Kawabe was a particularly interesting deal as he was brought in from Grasshoppers earlier in the month alongside Toti Gomes, only to be sent back a few weeks later.
Vogel is having none of that, though, insisting they’ve actually turned down numerous players from Molineux.
“The Chinese are actually a lottery win for GC,” he told Bluewin, adding that they have ‘turned down many players’ whom Wolves ‘would have liked to send’.
“But there are teething problems, as with every collaboration. Like when you’re married. Everything is fine for the first six months; then there are the first conflicts.
“And then you either end up in front of the divorce judge – that can happen at GC – or it works.
“Five players are from Mendes. That’s the best player advisor there is. If you have that on your side and you don’t bring his players to you, you are a square idiot.
“Three others have come from Wolverhampton and two from Sky Sun (GC president, ed.).”
