Here’s why ex-Sevilla manager Julen Lopetegui has rejected taking over at Wolves

Wolverhampton Wanderers have been without a manager since sacking Bruno Lage on October 3 following their 2-0 loss to West Ham United two days prior.

The defeat saw the Old Gold slip into the relegation zone after just one win in their opening eight games in the Premier League, with Steve Davis placed in caretaker charge of the club following Lage’s dismissal.

Davis oversaw Wolves’ 3-0 loss to Chelsea on Saturday - their fifth defeat in the league - and gave Diego Costa his first start for the club, while handing a debut to 20-year-old midfielder Joe Hodge.

Former Sevilla manager Julen Lopetegui was believed to be Wolves first choice to replace Lage at Molineux, according to multiple reports, but it now seems they will have to find an alternative to the Spaniard.

As per Spanish football expert Guillem Balague via BBC Sport, Lopetegui, who was sacked by Sevilla last week, has rejected the chance to become the Old Gold’s next boss due to family reasons.

Balague states that the ex-Real Madrid manager’s father is unwell and that has played a factor in the decision to turn Wolves’ offer down.

"It’s a heartfelt no [to Wolves] but the personal and professional timing did not coincide," Balague said.

"Conversations were very amicable and Wolves managed to put forward such an impressive case of a team that is accidentally towards the bottom of the table, but with a lot of potential and with players that will understand right away what Lopetegui could do with them.

"That made Lopetegui doubt [his refusal], but life decides for you sometimes.

"His dad, 92 and whom Lopetegui is very close to, deserves his attention. It is not a matter of tiredness as he recovers energies by working, and his staff were ready to follow him wherever he went after the intense but very successful time at Sevilla.

"Even though he said no on this occasion and Wolves understood, it is quite clear that - when things are better at home - he will look for a team in the Premier League, his next destination and where he will surely find top clubs interested in what he offers."

Lopetegui’s appointment at Molineux would’ve been regarded as a coup given his experience in the game, especially with Sevilla.

The 56-year-old guided the club to back-to-back fourth-place finishes in La Liga in the past two campaigns and won the Europa League during the 2019-20 season, beating Inter Milan 3-2.