Wolverhampton Wanderers have been left in 'a mess' after they made a 'massive mistake' in allowing Conor Coady to leave Molineux, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The central defender had been on the West Midlands side's books since completing a £2million switch from Huddersfield Town in 2015, but he moved onto pastures new in August.

GiveMeSport Transfer Verdict

GiveMeSport Transfer Verdict

What's the latest news involving Coady?

Coady established himself as Wolves' club captain during his time at Molineux, making 317 appearances along the way.

But Bruno Lage, who has since been sacked by chairman Jeff Shi, allowed the 29-year-old to secure a switch during the final weeks of the summer transfer window.

Liverpool-born Coady returned to his roots as he completed a season-long loan move to Premier League rivals Everton.

It is understood that the Toffees could make the transfer permanent by parting with a £4.5million fee at the end of the campaign.

In an interview with talkSPORT, via MailOnline, Coady has revealed he left Wolves after realising he had fallen down the pecking order under then-boss Lage.

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What has Dean Jones said about Coady?

Jones believes allowing Coady to join Everton has turned out to be a costly error from Wolves' point of view, while signing free agent Diego Costa in September also showed there was panic behind the scenes.

Steve Davis will remain in caretaker charge until 2023, with the club still searching for a long-term Lage successor, and Jones feels Aston Villa's speedy appointment of Unai Emery after sacking head coach Steven Gerrard emphasises that Wolves are in disarray.

The journalist told GIVEMESPORT: "I think if you look at decisions like Conor Coady, for example, that feels like a massive mistake.

"It was confusing as to why they never actually signed a long-term proper striker before turning to Diego Costa and they hit the panic button on that one.

"It all feels like a bit of a mess. Villa's situation probably just highlights that even more."

How has Coady been performing since his exit?

Coady has started every Premier League fixture since joining Everton, underlining his importance to Toffees boss Frank Lampard and the fact that Wolves should not have agreed to the deal.

Lampard has claimed that the defender's partnership with James Tarkowski is 'hugely important' and Coady appears to be on course to head to the World Cup thanks to his early season form.

The 10-cap England international is likely to be included in Three Lions chief Gareth Southgate's squad for the tournament in Qatar and there is no doubt that his exit will come back to haunt Wolves.

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