Julen Lopetegui's future at Wolves is hanging in the balance

TOM COLLOMOSSE: Julen Lopetegui’s future at Wolves is hanging by a thread and just praying he stays is no longer an option… the owners will pay the price for failing to deliver on transfers

  • Julen Lopetegui could leave Wolves before the season has even got underway
  • The Spaniard has grown increasingly frustrated over a lack of transfers at Wolves
  • Former Bournemouth boss Gary O’Neil has been sounded out as a replacement 

It is safe to assume that staff at Manchester City, Aston Villa and Liverpool – to name three – will not be fielding questions this week about whether their managers will turn up for work.

Yet this is the situation in which Wolves find themselves due to increasing tension with manager Julen Lopetegui. With Wolves due to train late on Tuesday afternoon, fans were openly wondering whether Lopetegui would be at the club’s Compton training base to take the session.

Wolves are clearly concerned enough about Lopetegui to consider other managers, with former Bournemouth boss Gary O’Neil high on their list of possible replacements. 

O’Neil did a fine job to lead the Cherries to comfortable survival last season and many were surprised when he was let go in June, with the club appointing Spanish coach Andoni Iraola. Steve Cooper also has admirers at Molineux after keeping Nottingham Forest in the top flight.

Whatever happens in the coming hours and days, Wolves have got themselves into a mess. No club wants doubt over the future of their manager a few days before the start of a new season, especially when their opening game is against Manchester United at Old Trafford on August 14.

Julen Lopetegui is in a precarious position and could leave Wolves before the season starts

Fans have been openly wondering whether Lopetegui would be at the club’s Compton training base to take Tuesday’s training session

The Wolves manager has grown increasingly frustrated over his side’s lack of transfer activity

Lopetegui is not the only one feeling annoyed, however. The Wolves hierarchy are unimpressed with how their manager has aired his frustration at the club’s transfer policy, particularly with the interview given to a Spanish journalist last month, in which Lopetegui claimed the goalposts had moved again on transfers.

Lopetegui told the Pure Football podcast: ‘We went to a plan B, trying to think about cost-effective players, but we can’t develop this plan, too. We lost a lot of players and we think the club want to sell more players.

‘It’s a pity because you are thinking at any moment key players can come and, in the end, they don’t for different reasons. We were excited by this new plan, but now we don’t have this plan because we don’t have any new players.’

It is tempting to wonder whether the issue is deeper than simply meeting governing body targets. Mail Sport revealed in May that Wolves’ parent company, Fosun Sports Group, had been seeking new investment. 

Also in May, it was reported that Fosun International had reduced its overall debt by £2.6billion. Wolves have always said Fosun remain fully committed to the club they bought seven years ago and are not looking to sell up. Chairman Jeff Shi said as much in an open letter to supporters last week.

Shi also added that Wolves’ economic priority is to meet Financial Fair Play requirements this season, which involves some serious belt-tightening. 

This is why Lopetegui – who kept Wolves up with something to spare last term even though they were bottom when he arrived in November – is so angry.

Yet Wolves committed more than £120million in transfer fees last summer when Bruno Lage was in charge, followed by a further £77m on Lopetegui’s watch in January. 


Wolves hierarchy have sounded out former Bournemouth manager Gary O’Neil as a possible replacement

Lopetegui aired his public frustration with the club in a recent Spanish podcast interview

Since then they have brought in £91m in player sales and top earners Joao Moutinho and Raul Jimenez have departed, but it seems inconceivable that Lopetegui was entirely in the dark about the club’s transfer plans. 

If so, why? Whatever the truth of the matter, clear communication must be prioritised from now.

Wolves today feels alarmingly like Leicester City 12 months ago. Brendan Rodgers was furious at being unable to strengthen his squad and took every chance to say so. 

The club stuck with a disillusioned manager until April and the club were relegated.

Nobody really believes Lopetegui will still be Wolves boss next spring but simply crossing fingers and hoping for the best is not an option.

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