Julen Lopetegui has reentered talks with Wolves and the Premier League club are quietly confident of a breakthrough with the Spaniard in the coming days. If talks progress, Wolves expect him to be in position by the beginning of the World Cup break.
The 56-year-old rejected a move to Molineux last month because of his father’s ill health but Wolves are hopeful this will be third time lucky having been encouraged by positive noises emerging from Lopetegui’s camp.
Lopetegui had been the first choice of the Wolves owner, Fosun, to become manager when the Chinese company bought the club in 2016 but he ended up taking the Spain job.
Wolves are still searching for a successor to Bruno Lage as head coach after his sacking at the beginning of October, following a poor start to the season.
Lopetegui – like the previous Wolves managers Lage and Nuno Espírito Santo – is a client of the super-agent Jorge Mendes, who is a big influence at the club, and the coach is keen on a move to England. Lopetegui won the Europa League with Sevilla in 2020 and has led them into the Champions League for three successive seasons.