03 August 2023 , 20:40
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Julen Lopetegui is considering his position as Wolves boss.
The fed-up Spaniard has already been concerned at having to sell off established talents such as Nathan Collins, Ruben Neves and Raul Jimenez without replacing them. Now Bournemouth are poised to pinch Wolves’ top transfer target, £25million Bristol City youngster Alex Scott.
And Serie A title winners Napoli are also keen on signing £27million defender Max Kilman. Outside of Matheus Cunha and Boubacar Traore making their loan deals permanent, free transfers Matt Doherty and Tom King, a 28-year-old goalkeeper from Northampton Town, have been the only players coming in. Ryan Giles and Conor Coady, who were both out on loan last term, have also been sold.
Wolves kick off their new Premier League campaign on August 14, when they go to Manchester United. They also have tough games against Brighton and Liverpool in their opening five matches.
Lopetegui is worried that they are nowhere near strong enough to cope after their battle against relegation last season. The 56-year-old expressed concerns about their spending plans at the end of the campaign and, although he decided to stay on, his concerns have not gone away.
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Julen Lopetegui is considering his future at Wolves (Getty Images)Although he is interested in £17m Stuttgart defender Konstantinos Mavropanos, Lopetegui continues to have concerns that he has been left with a squad unable to compete in the Premier League.
Wolves were held to a goalless draw against Luton on Wednesday in their latest pre-season encounter. Julen Lopetegui didn't speak to the media after the game and will not be doing so following their final friendly against Rennes this weekend.
He did, however, deliver an interview with journalist Guillem Balague on YouTube about what the club's transfer plans were. Lopetegui said: "I don't know. I would like to answer you. My aim, that is very clear, is that I would like to go to the pitches this afternoon with big energy, to translate [to the players] that we are going to our best in each training session.
"And as for the rest [of the issues], we will see what is going to happen because it is not under our control. I am not a financial advisor, I am a coach and I know we must be competitive in the Premier League. I have no complaints about the players that are here, but the rest is true.
"My responsibility starts and ends on the pitch. FFP is not under my control. I have to do my best always and work with the players who are here, with a big commitment."