MX23RW : Sunday, January 12 09:42:10| >> :120:49426:49426:

Nuno Espirito Santo 'open to Wolverhampton Wanderers return'

Nuno 'open to Wolverhampton Wanderers return'
© Reuters
Al Ittihad head coach Nuno Espirito Santo is reportedly open to a reunion with Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Nuno Espirito Santo is reportedly open to returning to Wolverhampton Wanderers as head coach.

At the start of October, Wolves announced that they had parted company with Bruno Lage, the man brought in as Nuno's replacement in June 2021.

The decision was made with Wolves sitting inside the Premier League relegation zone and having scored just three goals in eight matches, a record made worse by a 3-0 defeat at Chelsea last weekend.

Fosun International had hoped to appoint Julen Lopetegui as Lage's successor, only for the former Sevilla head coach to reject the opportunity due to family reasons.

Wolves now find themselves in a position where they head into a crucial game with Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon with caretaker duo Steve Davis and James Collins continuing to oversee matters on the training pitch.

Sevilla coach Julen Lopetegui reacts on March 17, 2022© Reuters

Given the extended uncertainty at Molineux and no obvious alternative to Lopetegui available, the odds of a surprise return for Nuno have shortened with a wide array of bookmakers.

According to the Daily Mail, the 48-year-old is open to a reunion with Wolves if an approach is made.

The Portuguese only penned a two-year contract with Saudi Arabian club Al Ittihad as recently as June, and he has since recorded four wins and three draws from his opening seven games.

Nevertheless, the report adds that Nuno remains open to returning to Europe if a suitable opportunity arises, with a chance to manage Wolves for a second time falling into that category.

Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Nuno Espirito Santo pictured on March 2, 2021© Reuters

Reappointing Nuno would prove to be a complex affair, while it is unclear whether an unsuccessful 17-game stint as boss of Tottenham Hotspur has further justified Fosun International's decision to part ways with him last year.

Nevertheless, Nuno spearheaded some of the most enjoyable moments in Wolves' history, starting with a promotion campaign from the Championship in 2017-18.

That was followed by successive seventh-placed finishes in the Premier League and a run to the quarter-finals of the Europa League, which was coincidentally ended by Lopetegui's Sevilla's side.

While the final year of Nuno's four-year stint ended with supporters becoming frustrated with the team's style of play, Nuno is able to boast a record of 95 wins and just 55 defeats from 199 matches in charge.

Rob Edwards, another head coach with links to Wolves, allegedly held discussions with the West Midlands outfit on Wednesday, while other candidates will be assessed over the coming days.

ID:496873:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:collect5237:
Written by
Darren Plant

Click here for more stories about Nuno Espirito Santo

Click here for more stories about Wolverhampton Wanderers

Collect / Create New Data
Share this article now:
Watford manager Rob Edwards on August 20, 2022
Read Next:
Wolves 'hold talks with Rob Edwards'
>
Sports Mole Logo
Enter your email address to subscribe to Sports Mole's free match previews newsletter! Updates are sent twice a week.
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
FT
Steelers
14-28
Ravens
6pm
Broncos
@
Bills
9.30pm
Packers
@
Eagles
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Liverpool19144147192846
2Arsenal20117239182140
3Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest20124429191040
4Chelsea20106439241536
5Newcastle UnitedNewcastle20105534221235
6Manchester CityMan City2010463627934
7Bournemouth209653023733
8Aston Villa209563032-232
9Fulham207943027330
10Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton2061043029128
11Brentford208393835327
12Tottenham HotspurSpurs20731042301224
13Manchester UnitedMan Utd206592328-523
14West Ham UnitedWest Ham206592439-1523
15Crystal Palace204972128-721
16Everton193881525-1017
17Wolverhampton WanderersWolves2044123145-1416
18Ipswich TownIpswich2037102035-1516
19Leicester CityLeicester2035122344-2114
20Southampton2013161244-326


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!