Wolves managerial latest: ‘Strong’ contender emerges but there’s one sticking point

Wolves remain in the hunt for a permanent replacement for Bruno Lage after deciding to sack the Portuguese boss last week following their slow start to the new Premier League season.

The Midlands outfit have been linked with Pedro Martins but he will be heading to Championship side Hull City.

Julen Lopetegui, who has been sacked by Sevilla, has now emerged as a ‘strong contender’ for the role according to The Athletic.

Wolves will hold talks with the Spaniard about their managerial vacancy as they continue to weigh up their options.

However, the report suggests that there is one ‘sticking point’ regarding whether he would move to Molinuex and that is the question mark as to whether he is willing to jump straight back into a new job after a tiring past few years managing in La Liga.

Lopetegui, 56, joined Sevilla back in 2019 and oversaw 169 games in charge, winning 53.25%.

He has also managed the likes of Rayo Vallecano, Porto and Real Madrid, as well as the Spain national team for a couple of years from 2016 to 2018.

Wolves would be a new challenge for him in a different league and they currently sit 18th in the table after one win in their first eight outings this term. Next up for them is an away trip to Stamford Bridge on Saturday to face Chelsea away.