Wolverhampton Wanderers may have identified Julen Lopetegui at their number one target to replace Bruno Lage, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The 56-year-old tactician was relieved of his duties as Sevilla manager on Wednesday night after his former side fell to a 4-1 defeat at home to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League.

What is the latest news involving Lopetegui?

A report from The Telegraph earlier in the week revealed that Lopetegui and Mainz’s Bo Svensson were at the top of Wolves’ shortlist as they began assessing potential candidates to fill the vacant Molineux hot seat.

And the Midlands outfit have been handed a potentially significant boost in their pursuit of Lopetegui following his departure from Sevilla.

The experienced boss was reportedly first linked with the Wolves job back in 2016 but became manager of the Spanish national team instead.

However, Lopetegui’s near two-year spell with La Furia Roja ended disappointingly when he was sacked on the eve of the 2018 World Cup after signing a pre-contract agreement to take over at Real Madrid following the end of the tournament.

To make matters worse, he only lasted 14 games in charge of Los Blancos before being sacked and then successfully rebuilt his career with Sevilla, guiding them to Europa League glory in 2019/20.

What has Jones said about Lopetegui?

Lopetegui is part of super-agent Jorge Mendes’ agency Gestifute, and when asked if he believes the Spaniard would be interested in the Wolves job, Jones stated that he ‘would imagine the answer is yes’.

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In an interview with GiveMeSport, he said: “I would imagine that this has already been put to him.

“So, I would imagine the answer is yes. We know that Wolves lean on Mendes in times of need, and Lopetegui because of that, has become an obvious candidate.”

Would Lopetegui be a good appointment?

Lopetegui spent his formative years as a coach taking charge of Real Madrid’s B team and leading a number of Spain’s youth teams before FC Porto handed him his first senior role on a permanent basis in 2014.

An 18-month spell in charge of the Dragons failed to yield any silverware, but it was impressive enough to see him become Vicente del Bosque’s heir as Spain boss.

As previously mentioned, Lopetegui’s time in charge of the national team and Madrid didn’t go to plan, yet his stint with Sevilla showcased his true ability as a head coach.

In his 170-game reign, Lopetegui oversaw 90 victories and 44 draws, averaging 1.85 points per game, and he could prove to be an astute appointment by Wolves should he get the job.