Julen Lopetegui fancies becoming Wolves boss – but any deal for his Molineux arrival is being held up by a family matter over in Spain.
Wolves parted ways with boss Bruno Lage last weekend, sacking him just 24 hours after a 2-0 defeat away at West Ham United.
The attention has turned to finding a replacement but caretakers Steve Davis and James Collins were in charge for Saturday’s 3-0 loss at Chelsea.
An appointment doesn’t look to be coming in the next couple of days even with Wolves’ top target seemingly available.
Julen Lopetegui fancies becoming Wolves boss
One of the key names in the mix ever since Lage was sacked is that of Julen Lopetegui.
The Spaniard was wanted by Wolves in 2016 and he remains on their radar thanks to his ties to super-agent Jorge Mendes.
Sky Sports reported last week that Lopetegui is the top choice for Wolves as they chase a new manager.
The story then took a turn as Lopetegui was sacked as Sevilla boss following a disappointing start to the new season.
The assumption was that Lopetegui would be able to simply walk into his next job with Wolves ready and waiting for him.
No deal has been done yet though and the Daily Mail claim that Lopetegui currently has a family matter to handle in Spain, which of course takes precedence.
That means a deal for Lopetegui to join Wolves isn’t expected until the end of the week at the earliest, even with the Spaniard interested in making the move.
Davis and Collins may therefore need to take charge of next weekend’s game against Nottingham Forest as the wait for Lopetegui goes on.
The Mail also carry a quote from Wolves star Ruben Neves in which the midfielder called Lopetegui a ‘special coach’.
The pair worked together at Porto and joining forces again would seemingly please the Wolves midfield maestro, who has been linked away from Molineux.
Whether Lopetegui can tempt him into staying remains to be seen, but Neves is at least a big fan of the man expected to become Wolves boss.
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