Premier League manager in talks to leave just days before new season with replacement lined up
Premier League boss Julen Lopetegui could leave Wolves before the new season
PA
Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui is locked in talks with the club over his future.
The Spaniard arrived at Molineux last November as a replacement for Bruno Lage, who was sacked following a defeat to West Ham a month previously.
Lopetegui is holding talks at Wolves' training ground on Tuesday which could end in the 56-year-old leaving the club.
With the start of the new Premier League season just days away, that would be a nightmare scenario for the top-flight outfit.
Wolves boss Julen Lopetegui could leave the club before the new Premier League season
PA
However, Wolves have former Bournemouth boss Gary O'Neil under consideration as a potential replacement.
And if Lopetegui does end up leaving Molineux this week, then it's possible the club will act as they look to secure another year of football at the highest level.
Wolves were bottom of the table when Lopetegui took charge in November.
Yet while he was able to guide his side to safety, the club's financial situation means a parting of ways could be on the cards.
Sporting director Matt Hobbs, speaking recently, insisted Lopetegui was committed to the club.
Yet following an open letter from chairman Jeff Shi, who made it clear the club's Chinese owners Fosun wouldn't be selling up, his future has been plunged into uncertainty.
Shi said: "Fosun remains committed to Wolves and has never had any plans to sell the club. The club is a long-term project and an important one for Fosun."
He added: "I am very confident in our squad, but we do need to be humble with a challenger attitude, as if it was our first Premier League season all over again.
"In my experience, the performance on the pitch is not only defined by simple additions of players, but by team spirit, chemistry, momentum, morale, leadership, tactics, training, hard work and a variety of other factors.
"Throughout the last seven seasons, I have never had a month where everything was perfect.
"The reality of running a football club is to continuously face issues and challenges, and then tackle them with solutions.
"FFP is one of the more short-term and benign challenges we have faced.
"The club has gone through much more difficult tests in the past and will do so again in the future."
According to FFP rules, Wolves must make a profit on player trading this summer.
This is in order to avoid exceeding the accumulated £105million loss over a three-year period - which is the maximum allowed under the current regulations.
Wolves sold Ruben Neves to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal in June, with the Portugal international's sale bringing in £47million.
Raul Jimenez has also departed to join Fulham.
But Wolves have made just one big signing so far, with Matt Doherty returning as a free agent.
Should Lopetegui leave, it would prove Gabriel Agbonalhor right with the former Aston Villa striker saying earlier in the summer that the Spaniard may quit the club.
“I’m very worried about Wolves because Julen Lopetegui could walk if they don’t end up signing the right players," he said.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Gary O'Neill may replace Julen Lopetegui at Wolves
PA
“I know they had to sell players to improve financially, but you can’t afford to lose both Nathan Collins and Matt Kilman, because who is going to come in after that.
“You’ve already lost Ruben Neves and Raul Jiminez is not scoring the goals like he used to, so there is a lot of problem Wolves at the moment, and selling Kilman won’t help that."
You may like
