Julen Lopetegui to stay on as Wolves manager
Wolves have confirmed that manager Julen Lopetegui will be staying at the club next season.
The 56-year-old took charge at Molineux in November when Wolves were bottom of the Premier League table and successfully guided them to safety after picking up ten wins and six draws in 27 games.
Lopetegui had cast doubt over his long-term future at Wolves amid concerns over the club's financial stability and ability to invest in players, but the West Midlanders remained quietly confident that the former Sevilla boss would not walk away.
Wolves will likely need to sell players this summer in order to raise transfer funds, but the club have confirmed that Lopetegui will remain at the helm.
“There’s been a lot of chat about the club on the back of Julen’s press conferences before the season finished. What’s important is we’ve been in constant contact throughout," Wolves' sporting director Matt Hobbs said.
"I was never in any doubt that he would remain at Wolves, but we have to acknowledge the project is different to what he thought it was. We had to allow him time to understand it and get his head around how to build a squad to be competitive in the Premier League.
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“He’s committed, he loves the area and the club. You can see the affinity he has built with the fans, and I never saw a situation where he wouldn’t be our manager. We’ve been working on our strategy for the summer, and while it may be slightly different to what we thought it would be six months ago, that’s football and we have to react to it.
“I could never question his and his team’s commitment. If you look at their work ethic day in, day out, their attention to detail across all departments, the time they spend here, their families coming over, anyone questioning their dedication is completely wrong.
"What is fair is that his understanding of the project was different to what it is now, so you have to allow time for that to settle, especially with a manager at his level.”
On the club's need to sell players before buying, Hobbs added: “Generally, the likelihood is that players will leave before we can bring new faces in. The reality is the season has only recently finished, players are away on international duty, and deals will start to happen after clubs start to return for pre-season.
“When it’s such a long race, the summer window, it’s a lot of posturing – waiting for your moment, and with every player you want to sign, there’ll always be a moment.
"It won’t be like the winter, where we go for six and get all six, because the summer is different because more clubs are spending money. We feel we’re in a good position for a number that we like, but obviously we have to make sure the finances balance out. What’s still a big pull for people is Julen. Players want to come and play for this manager.”
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