Wolverhampton Wanderers may be ‘tempted’ to re-appoint former manager Nuno Espirito Santo, according to journalist Dean Jones.
The Midlands outfit are searching for a new boss after relieving Bruno Lage of his duties and have already seen their advances turned down by Julen Lopetegui.
What is the latest news involving Wolves?
Lopetegui was only sacked by Sevilla last week and soon emerged as Wolves’ preferred choice to fill the vacant Molineux hot seat.
However, the Spanish tactician cited family reasons behind his decision to reject Wolves for the second time in his career, forcing them to turn their attention to other potential candidates.
Rob Edwards, who guided Forest Green to the League Two title last term, has emerged as a surprise contender for the role despite being dismissed by Watford after just 11 games at the helm in September.
And The Athletic have revealed that Espirito Santo’s return to Wolves cannot be ruled out at this moment in time despite him being under contract with Saudi Arabian outfit Al-Ittihad.
The 48-year-old left Wolves 18 months ago before enduring an ill-fated stint at Tottenham Hotspur but did enjoy a very successful four-year stint at the club between 2017 and 2021.
What has Jones said about Espirito Santo?
Jones believes that Wolves ‘have to remain ambitious’ despite Lage’s tenure ending in disappointment, hinting that Espirito Santo’s comeback would perhaps be a backward step.
Read more: FA Cup 2022/23: Dates, Draw, Odds And Everything You Need To Know
In an interview with GiveMeSport, he said: “I think at times like this there will always be a small part of you that is tempted to turn back to better times.
“But Wolves will remember how the final months went too and that they have to remain ambitious rather than accept they failed with the Bruno Lage appointment.”
Would Espirito Santo be a good appointment?
Wolves claimed the Championship title under Espirito Santo before recording consecutive seventh-placed finishes in the Premier League.
They also reached the FA Cup semi-finals and the Europa League quarter-finals under his guidance, but a 13th-placed finish in his final season at the helm left a sour taste.
Espirito Santo’s pragmatic style of play also started to wear thin with large sections of the Wolves faithful towards the end of this 199-game reign, and it’s likely that many supporters would be underwhelmed if he was reappointed.
Overall, it is arguable that Wolves would be better off starting a new chapter in their history rather than returning to a previous one.